Baked Gnocchi with Kale Chips
A one pan meal to rule them all
Ok, this dinner is a no-brainer. One-pan meals are always a win in my book, plus this recipe is so much easier than your usual baked pastas, which require you to boil water, cook the pasta, and then assemble…and THEN bake for an hour, which takes too long for a weeknight IMO. But this recipe is maybe a third of the work/time. You’re not even pre-cooking the gnocchi— you just throw it in the pan after you cook the sausage and it soaks up the sauce (with the added bonus of amping up the flavor).
The pan in question could easily be a cast-iron skillet, if you have a large one, but mine is on the smaller side, and I wasn’t sure it could handle all the ingredients (it couldn’t, as it turns out; I might halve the recipe in the future!) But my trusty Calphalon stainless steel 5.5 quart saucepan was great for the job. (Is there an affiliate link coming? There is not, and there never will be, so help me God. Affiliate links are the Roy Kent of recipe blogs… they’re not here, but they are there and every other f***ing where, and I will never do this to you.)
Anyway, the dinner was great— but it made a lot and it was kind of a heavy dish, so make sure you make the kale chips too, or pick some other vegetable to give your tastes buds a break.
We’re using my version of the Baked Gnocchi recipe from themodernproper.com, minus the fennel (they’re a little fennel-happy over there!) and minus some salt, because WOW did this one have too much salt— the saltiness actually increased over time, if that’s possible. So instead of a teaspoon like the original recipe states, we’ll be cutting it back to half a teaspoon, or maybe 3/4 if you so choose.
Baked Gnocchi with Kale Chips
Total time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8
For Dietary Restrictions
Gluten free: use gluten-free gnocchi
Dairy free: use dairy-free mozzarella; substitute silken tofu for ricotta (or just leave it out)
Kids Can Help
Wash and dry kale, break up sausage as it cooks (older kids)
Ingredients
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce (I like Carbone or Rao’s)
2 (16-ounce) packages gnocchi
8 ounces whole-milk ricotta
8 ounces mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
2 bunches Lacinato kale
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Tools
Large (5.5 quart) oven-proof skillet
Cutting board
Chef knife
Spatula or wooden spoon
Medium mixing bowl
Large baking sheet
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2
In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil starts to glisten, add the Italian sausage and cook without disturbing for a few minutes until sausage is browned on the underside and comes off the skillet easily. Flip and repeat, then start to break into smaller pieces until sausage is fully cooked and crumbled.
Step 3
Add the sauce, gnocchi, and ½ tsp of salt to the pan with the sausage and mix to fully combine. Dollop the ricotta evenly on top and then cover everything with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Step 4
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on the top has started to brown. Meanwhile, prepare the kale (step 5).
Step 5
Wash and dry the kale, then slice into strips about an inch wide. In a mixing bowl, toss the kale with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and ¼ tsp salt. Spread the kale out in an even layer on a large baking sheet and bake when the gnocchi has about 15 minutes left. Roast for 10-15 minutes until brown and crunchy (but be careful not to overcook!)
Step 6
If desired, wash, dry, and mince the parsley to garnish the gnocchi before serving. (See how plain it looks without?)
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