Creamy Italian Sausage Gnocchi

Meat, starch, veggies, a deceptively simple but delicious cream sauce, all topped with melty mozzarella cheese and made in one pan in under 30 minutes??? Sounds like a fantasy dinner, right? Go ahead and pinch yourself if you want, but you're not dreaming! This dish is a complete meal that is uh-maze-ing in every way.

If you've never heard of gnocchi (pronounced nyoh-key), they are puffy, little, potato-based pillows that cook up in minutes. You can make them yourself if you have spare time, but you can also buy a great premade version in the pasta aisle of your grocery store. Gnocchi can be used as a substitute for pasta in just about any dish. Trust me, you're gonna love it!

Creamy Italian Sausage Gnocchi

Prep time: 5 min, Cook time: 15 min

Serves 5

1 lb mild Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil

3/4 cup heavy cream
16 oz gnocchi
2-3 cups fresh spinach
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté your sausage, onion, garlic and seasonings until browned. Drain and return to pan.

Add in the tomatoes, cream, gnocchi, and spinach and heat until gnocchi is cooked, spinach is wilted and some of the cream has reduced (about 8-10 minutes).

Stir in the shredded mozzarella cheese until melted. (You could totally leave out the cheese if you wanted to save a few calories, but if you're eating this dish, I doubt you're counting, so why not go all out?!)