Sausage and Bacon Cheesy Baked Gnocchi

Our favorite one-pan cheesy sausage gnocchi recipe with maximum flavor. An easy weeknight meal everyone will love!

I’ve made a few baked gnocchi recipes before, but this one is easily our new favorite. If you have a cast iron pan, or a pan that can safely transfer to the oven, this is one of those easy dinners that is going to be a dream.

I use bacon, Italian sausage (either regular or hot Italian sausage – your pick!), cherry tomatoes, garlic, marinara sauce, mini potato gnocchi, and extra cheese for this easy meal – and it delivers big time on flavor. This recipe makes six servings, and comes together in 30 minutes. For my small batch recipe people – this reheats really well, and actually tastes better the next day!

Ingredients

• 3 slices thick-cut Bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 8 ounces Italian Sausage, mild or hot
• 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
• 2 cloves fresh Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 24 oz. Marinara Sauce (your favorite)
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• Salt + freshly cracked Black Pepper
• 16 oz. Gnocchi (regular or miniature)
• 4 ounces Fresh Mozzarella, cut or torn into small pieces
• 8 ounces shredded Italian Cheese blend
• finely chopped Fresh Parsley (or fresh basil), for garnish

I recently found packages of gnocchi that were miniature gnocchi at the store, and had. to. have. them. Now may be a good time to discuss my slight obsession with tiny things. Usually it’s tiny gifts, or maybe tiny measuring cups. But tiny gnocchi? Umm, where has this been my whole life? Don’t worry, if you have regular-sized gnocchi, it still works perfectly for this recipe. Gnocchi only needs to boil for a minute or two anyway, so it makes sense to just bake it straight in with the marinara sauce. The sauce soaks into the gnocchi, cooking them as it surrounds each of them, and this recipe cooks long enough that tiny gnocchi or large gnocchi will all cook through.

I personally love spicy Italian sausage for this recipe, but you’re welcome to use mild Italian sausage if you prefer! If you want to avoid additional heat, omit the red pepper flakes, too. If you find hot Italian sausages (or whatever level of heat) packaged as sausage links, be sure to remove the casing before cooking them.

How to Make this Gnocchi and Sausage Recipe

• Set a large cast iron pan (or any large skillet that is oven safe) over medium heat. Add chopped bacon, and cook until almost dark brown and crispy, about 7-8 minutes.
• Add quartered cherry tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add Italian sausage, cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add minced garlic to the sausage mixture, mix into the other ingredients until fragrant, cooking a total of 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in marinara sauce and add granulated sugar. Mix into other ingredients until thoroughly combined. 
• Turn the oven to 350 F.
• Add uncooked gnocchi to the pan and thoroughly mix into the sauce. Allow the gnocchi to simmer in the sauce as the oven comes up to temperature. (The gnocchi cooks in the sauce).
• Place the pieces of fresh mozzarella across the top of the gnocchi and sauce, evenly distributing them. Bake the gnocchi and sauce for 10 minutes. 
• Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and sprinkle the shredded Italian cheese across the surface of the gnocchi and sauce. Turn the oven to high broil, and broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and browned.
• Remove from the oven, and garnish with finely chopped parsley (or fresh basil!). Carefully serve hot!

What Cheese is Best for this Recipe

Fresh mozzarella is a great choice; the light flavor and incredibly melty texture is just unparalleled, in my opinion. Tuck little bits of fresh mozzarella all throughout the gnocchi and marinara sauce before putting it in the oven, and let it melt and bubble under the direct heat from the stove. Ugh, it’s one of my favorite things.

Sprinkling this cheesy baked gnocchi with shredded cheese creates a final blanket of cheesy, gooey goodness on top, and totally seals the deal to make this one of the ultimate comfort food recipes. If you’re going for the ultimate cheese pull, this cheesy-smothering step is crucial. I like to use an Italian cheese blend for this final step, because it adds the perfect amount of flavor to any pasta with tomato sauce. You could also use shredded mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, or even cheddar cheese if you like!

This is such a delicious weeknight meal the whole family will love. You are welcome to personalize this recipe if you like! I’ve added a touch of Italian seasoning before, and I have a friend who loves it with chopped white onion and red bell pepper cooked in with the bacon and sausage. If you want a creamy sauce, stir in about 1/3 cup of heavy cream with the marinara sauce and sugar. You could certainly stir in some baby spinach with the marinara sauce for added nutrition, too! I love to make a recipe as written once, then if I find that I want to add something else the next time, I totally do it.

This original recipe is so delicious as it is, but one of the best ways to really enjoy a recipe is to make it your own. This is one of those easy recipes that is perfect for tweaking, so feel free to make it yours! It’s even better to tweak these one-pan recipes that are ideal for busy weeknights; you can use up some leftover vegetables or herbs in the refrigerator so they don’t go straight to the compost! However you make it, I hope it becomes part of your regular rotation, and that your entire family loves it.

Make this a Complete Meal

• Steakhouse Style Caesar Salad
• Miso Caesar Dressing (Caesar Dressing without Anchovies!)
• Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread

Wine Pairings for Cheesy Sausage Gnocchi

:: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy) >> One of my favorite Italian wines! High acidity and high tannins make this wine a really good pair for big, rich, meaty foods. Montepulciano is the grape here, and Abruzzo is the region in east-central Italy. You can find bottles starting around $12 or so, which is a great place to start if you haven’t tried it before!

:: Nebbiolo (Italy) >> Nebbiolo is a lesser known grape hailing from the Piedmont region of Italy (northern Italy), but it’s so delicious, and has some serious tannin to it. When we talk about tannin, we’re talking about the bitterness that comes through when you taste wine. It’s the component of some (primarily red) wines that makes your mouth feel super dry after drinking. The richness in this baked marinara sauce goes well with high tannins, because it creates a sense of balance. Super rich food that coats your mouth, followed by tannic wine that dries your mouth out = balance. It’s awesome!

:: Brunello (Italy) >> I wanted to put Sangiovese here, but this is a step up from that. Brunello is made with 100% Sangiovese grapes, and comes from Montalcino, which is in Tuscany. It’s a pricey wine, but it’s sooo delicious. With a high acidity, it’s so good with big meats, tomato-based dishes, and this cheesy, rich, tomato gnocchi bake!

If you make this cheesy sausage gnocchi and love it, a comment and star rating below would be awesome! You can also tag me on Instagram if you share it there. As always, feel free to email me with any questions you may have, and I will do my best to help! Enjoy!!

Enjoy!! xx Sara