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Sausage and peppers in the same dish is such a stellar combo! Toss in some crispy gnocchi and a luscious sauce, and you’ll be adding this quick and easy dinner to your menu this week!
Table of Contents
Our 20 minute sausage and peppers gnocchi is actually a meal of forgotten things. I found myself standing at the fridge years and years ago staring into a bunch of random ingredients and nothing to pull it all together; a little chicken broth, a chunk of onion and peppers from a taco night, and these random sausages a friend had given us. Not really enough of anything to make a full meal, or so I thought.
I’ve seen sausage and peppers stuffed into hoagie rolls enough to know that I could probably do something similar but without bread or rolls in the house at the time I needed to get creative and as a newlywed that also required cheap. I did not have enough money to go buy a bunch of stuff but I did have a lone package of pasta.
Over the years we’ve changed up this recipe a gazillion times until a little white cooking wine and the switch from pasta to gnocchi brought it all home. This crispy gnocchi with peppers and onions recipe only takes 20 minutes though the first time may be a little longer as you get the hang of it. Once you’ve done it once it’s a breeze.
Cook this, plate it.
Cook that, plate it.
Crisp the gnocchi, plate it.
Add the first two plates and sauce ingredients back in, simmer the sauce and then throw in the gnocchi, seasoning to taste. That’s it!
Ingredients for Sausage and Peppers Gnocchi
There are really only a few ingredients in this dish which is one of the things I love about it! And aside from the fresh produce and gnocchi, most of the ingredients are things I usually have on hand already. That’s always a win!
- Olive Oil
- Red Bell Pepper
- Orange Bell Pepper or Yellow Bell Pepper
- Onion – Yellow or Red Onion
- Garlic
- Sausage
- Gnocchi – We use potato gnocchi.
- Basil (dried)
- Thyme (dried)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chicken Broth
- White White (or cooking wine)
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- Parsley
The measurements of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sausage and Peppers and Gnocchi
This is where I prove that this recipe is done in 20 minutes…
- Start by cooking the peppers and onions in a large skillet over medium high heat until tender. Remove to a plate and save for later.
- Add the garlic and sausages and cook until the sausage gets golden and crispy. While it is cooking, start boiling water in another pot for the gnocchi.
- When the water is boiling, add the gnocchi. When they float, they are done. Strain out the water.
- When the sausage and garlic are done, remove them to another plate and set aside.
- Drizzle a little more olive oil to the skillet and add the gnocchi. Cook until brown and crisp on each side. Remove the gnocchi to another plate and set aside.
- Add the peppers, onions and sausage to the skillet with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce the temp and let it simmer until the liquid is mostly gone.
- NOTE: If you want to add a little heat, sprinkle a dash of red pepper flakes at this step.
- Add the gnocchi to the skillet and season to taste. Top with the fresh parsley.
All of these instructions in full detail can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Know When Gnocchi are Done
When you add gnocchi to a boiling pot of water, it will sink to the bottom. They are done when they float to the top!
Which Sausages to Buy
You can buy any ol’ sausage you want! You could lighten it up with a turkey or chicken sausage or go with a classic pork sausage. Italian sausage would also work great! Whatever your family will enjoy most!
Can I Use Green or Yellow Peppers?
Yes, you can use whatever bell peppers you like best. I just like the way red and orange look in this dish. Keep in mind that green bell peppers tend to be much less sweet than the red, orange and yellow.
Can I Add More or Less Garlic?
The amount of garlic is definitely up to you and your preferred taste. I know everyone tastes and enjoys garlic differently.
Can I Use Fresh Herbs?
Yes, you can definitely go fresh! You’ll want 1 tablespoon of fresh basil that has been minced and a half tablespoon of fresh thyme.
Does Gnocchi Freeze Well?
Uncooked gnocchi freezes really well, but once gnocchi is cooked, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it. They get too soft and lose their shape after they are cooked to freeze successfully.
Storage Tips
Leftover gnocchi should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 4-5 days and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove top.
It’s time for sausage and peppers and crispy golden gnocchi! The next time you need dinner in a hurry, try this 20 minute meal! The flavors are super-cali-fragi-listic-expi-ali-scrumptious!
Sausage and Peppers Gnocchi
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 Orange Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 Onion, red or yellow, sliced
- 6 Cloves Garlic, sliced
- 3 Sausages, sliced
- 1 Package Gnocchi, 16oz
- 1 teaspoon Basil, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon Thyme, dried
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1/4 Cup White Wine, or white cooking wine
- 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, do not drain
- Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium high heat, add a few drizzles of olive oil and add the peppers and onions, cooking for 6-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender. Set two plates beside your burner for the peppers mixture and gnocchi.Olive Oil, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 1 Onion
- Remove to one of the plates and add another drizzle of olive oil.
- Add the garlic and sausages and cook, again stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, start the water in the pot for the gnocchi and once boiling add the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water until it floats.6 Cloves Garlic, 3 Sausages, 1 Package Gnocchi
- Remove the sausages and garlic to the plate with the peppers.
- Drain and drizzle olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Add drained gnocchi and crisp until brown on each side, adding more oil as needed. Remove the gnocchi to a separate plate.
- Add the peppers and sausage mixtures back to the skillet along with seasoning, broth, wine and tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a boil then turn temperature down slightly until at a light simmer until liquid is mostly gone.1 teaspoon Basil, 1/2 teaspoon Thyme, Salt and Pepper, 1/4 Cup Chicken Broth, 1/4 Cup White Wine, 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- Dump the gnocchi in and stir to combine, seasoning as needed.
- Add parsley and seasoning to taste.Parsley
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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On what planet does this take 10 minutes to cook? 40 minutes start to finish is more accurate. Also super liquidly. I drained most of the liquid and my husband still asked if this was supposed to be soup.
What could you use in place of the fire roasted canned tomatoes??
Hi Susan! Just regular canned tomatoes would work great. The fire roasted just adds an extra level of flavor to the dish.
Any pointers on “frying” the gnocchi? Mine always seem to stick to the pan and fall apart. I’m using a ceramic coated braiser. Normally things don’t stick but after cooking the other items there’s a lot of build up on the pan.
Hey Holly! This is a great question! It sounds like maybe you need to deglaze the pan before adding in the gnocchi. Pour a little chicken broth or white wine into the pan and scrape all the little bits and build up off the pan and let the liquid cook off. Then add the olive oil and gnocchi. I hope this helps!
Wow, turned out great! Thank you
Yay! Thanks Coco!
This recipe is bomb diggity. My husband and I are vegan, so we used Beyond Hot Italian sausages (they are spectacular, btw). I cannot imagine it tasting any better, any other way. Highly recommended!
Yessss! Thanks so much Elizabeth!
This recipe looks amazing but I have a quick question – are you using pre-cooked sausages? Your slices look really neat as if your sausages were already cooked. (Raw sausage meat can look a mess when sliced!) Looking at the time for cooking the sausages and onions, I couldn’t tell if that would be for raw or pre-cooked.
Thanks! Can’t wait to make this tonight!
This recipe looks amazing but I have a quick question – are you using pre-cooked sausages? Your slices look really neat as if your sausages were already cooked. (Raw sausage meat can look a mess when sliced!) Looking at the time for cooking the sausages and onions, I couldn’t tell if that would be for raw or pre-cooked.
Thanks! Can’t wait to make this tonight!
Hi Virginia! You can use any sausage that you like! The sausage I used to shoot this recipe was the Aidell’s chicken sausage that you can buy at Costco. You could also used a kielbasa or smoked sausage. Whether you use a raw or a precooked sausage, it will get cooked as you work your way through this recipe. Enjoy!!
Great! Exactly what I have in the fridge! Thank you so much.
Enjoy!