Creamy, Spicy Sausage, Green Beans and Gnocchi

I haven’t made a blog post in a long while. Life got in my way. But I was still cooking. Still recording everything. And I’m back.

Lately, I’ve needed comforting. This dish is the ultimate comfort food. Puffy little pillows of gnocchi, hearty sausage, creamy Parmesan sauce, and green beans because we have to eat our vegetables.

Servings: 4-6
Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a large skillet (I prefer cast-iron), a large pot, a heavy wooden spoon, a large bowl, and a large slotted spoon
Time:  Cook time: 30 minutes, active time: 20 minutes, Dinner in about 40 minutes

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound of spicy Italian sausage
• 12 ounce of gnocchi
• 8 ounce of fresh green beans
• ½  tablespoon of butter
• ½  tablespoon of olive oil (maybe more)
• 4 garlic cloves
• ¾  cup of low sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

1. Wash and dry the green beans. Snip off the ends and cut them in half. Mince the garlic. Roughly chop the parsley. Remove the sausage from the casing. Put the large pot of salted water onto boil. Set everything aside. 
2. Heat the butter and olive oil in the skillet on medium. Add the sausage. Cook and crumble the sausage until it is no longer pink. This should take 8-10 minutes. Remove the sausage and place it in the bowl. 
3. In the same skillet, toss in the green beans and minced garlic. Add a little salt. Toss enough to keep the garlic from burning. You may also need to add more oil if the skillet dries. 
4. While the green beans are sautéing, place the gnocchi into the boiling water. Gnocchi cook in 3-4 minutes. They are done when they float. Use the slotted spoon to scoop the floating pasta out of the pot and place it into the skillet with the beans. Cook, tossing frequently, until the gnocchi are golden brown on all sides. 
5. Return the sausage to the skillet. Add in the chicken broth and cream. Turn the skillet down until the sauce is at a low simmer. Simmer until the sauce is the desired thickness, maybe 5 more minutes. 
6. Stir in the cheese, taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Sprinkle the parsley over the dish before serving.