Creamy Gnocchi Turkey Sausage Kale (Print Version)

Tender gnocchi combined with turkey sausage, kale, and creamy parmesan sauce for a hearty Italian-American dish.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta & Sausage

01 - 1 lb potato gnocchi (fresh or shelf-stable)
02 - 12 oz turkey sausage (casings removed)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 4 cups kale, stems removed and chopped

→ Cream Sauce

07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
09 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - Extra grated parmesan cheese
14 - Freshly ground black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove sausage and place on a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add the chopped kale to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until wilted, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Return the cooked sausage to the skillet. Pour in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
06 - Add the drained gnocchi to the skillet and toss gently to coat with the sauce. Incorporate reserved pasta water as needed to adjust sauce consistency.
07 - Season with freshly ground black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes if desired, and salt to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan cheese and black pepper.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in about thirty minutes, which means you can have a restaurant-worthy dinner on a weeknight without the stress.
  • The pillowy gnocchi soaks up the parmesan cream in a way that makes every bite feel indulgent but not heavy.
  • You get protein, greens, and comfort all in one skillet, so cleanup is mercifully simple.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, I forgot once and the sauce was too thick to fix without adding more broth and losing that perfect balance.
  • Let the cream simmer gently, not boil hard, or it can break and turn grainy instead of staying smooth and luscious.
03 -
  • Use freshly grated parmesan instead of pre-shredded, it melts smoother and tastes infinitely better in the sauce.
  • If your skillet isn't big enough to toss everything together comfortably, finish combining the gnocchi and sauce in the pasta pot instead of forcing it.

Go Back