This simple dish is Italian comfort food at its best. Tender gnocchi pair with savory Italian sausage, leafy chard, tomato, cannellini beans, and cheeses for a perfectly balanced meal.Â
Gnocchi are small, potato-based dumplings. They’re light and fluffy, making them the perfect foil for a wide variety of toppings. In this dish, we’re adding crumbled Italian sausage, hearty Swiss chard, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, and white beans, along with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
I just made this with chard from our garden and it was so good! Hubby and I love it and sometimes opt for a vegetarian version by simply eliminating the sausage. The cannellini beans provide the protein and lots of fiber, so you don’t feel like you’re missing out by skipping the meat (though we do love a good Italian sausage).
In addition to amazing flavor, this meal relies on pantry staples like canned diced tomatoes, white beans, and shelf-stable gnocchi. The other ingredients are pretty basic, too, like sausage, onion, garlic, and greens. We love the Swiss chard, but it can be substituted with spinach or even kale. If you do opt for kale, adding a little water to the pan and then covering it will create steam needed for softening this tougher green.
Serve the gnocchi and sausage with a salad of mixed greens and savor every bite of this delightfully comforting dish!
Gnocchi with Chard and Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage, ground
- 1 16 oz. package gnocchi like DeCecco
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chopped chard leaves (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
- 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a non-stick pan, cook the sausage until no longer pink. Remove from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate and drain any excess grease from the pan, leaving about 1 teaspoon.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes or till the onion softens and becomes translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped chard and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chard begins to wilt. (If needed, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to facilitate cooking.)
- Stir in the tomatoes, beans, and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the gnocchi and sausage, and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.
- Serve hot and refrigerate any leftovers.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, simply eliminate the Italian sausage or use a plant-based alternative (which also reduces the amount of fat and calories).Â
- To save additional calories, use a part-skim vs. whole milk mozzarella cheese.
- The cheeses may be added to each individual serving instead of mixing them into the entire dish. This allows each person to adjust the amount of cheese to their liking and helps keep the pan from getting gummed up with melted cheese.