Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach

Yeah, I know, right? How delicious does this look?? It truly was fantastic! And those smaller gnocchi truly were little pillows of potato goodness. Just sayin…
And trust me when I say you’re going to want to make this Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach. I was lucky enough to be able to use the Hillshire Farm Smoky Bourbon Link Sausage for this recipe. I #GotItFree from BzzAgent. WOW! If you haven’t hard these gems, seriously go buy them NOW! They are so tasty and delicious. They were a perfectly light flavor to compliment these gnocchi and the spinach. This recipe honestly wouldn’t be the same with any other sausage. Just saying…

So, this is what you’re looking for in the store; a package that looks like with the rest of your regular, old, smoked, link sausage. Trust me. Bypass those and buy these beauties. Or any other of this American Craft line from Hillshire Farm. You WILL NOT be disappointed. I wasn’t and I’ve had two flavors so far.

Just look at all that spicy goodness in those little slices of heaven!! Of course, I couldn’t resist sampling them before I put them into the pan. I mean, when you’re cooking it’s all about the tasting and making sure your ingredients and flavors are just what you’re looking for, right? Right? No?
Well, honestly, you’re not going to be able to keep your hands off these sausages. I think I noshed on four or five pieces before it was time to put them in the pan and brown them. Yes. They were that tasty prior to browning. They had this smoky bourbon flavor along with the delicious mixture of meat and spices in the links. I couldn’t wait to see how this dish was going to play out and how all the flavors were going to blend together. The delicious texture of the gnocchi played against the spices in the sausages which was enhanced by the earthy tones of the spinach and the smoky flavor of the bourbon. I couldn’t have planned this meal out any better.

The sauce for this dish is simple. It’s a little bit of the pasta water as it was cooking, some cream and some cheese. That’s it. It honesty is that simple. When ingredients are this tasty, you don’t need a lot to make an amazing meal.

Make sure you follow Hillshire Farms on Facebook and Twitter to find out when their next flavors of this American Craft Sausage Link line is introduced. I can’t wait to see what flavors are next in line!

Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach
Ingredients
- 16 ounces gnocchi 1 cup thinly sliced onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 14.5 ounces Smoky Bourbon Sausage Links
- 14 ounces canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fat free half and half
- 1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions and saute until the onions begin to soften.
- Add the sausage and cook until heated through; 7 to 10 minutes.
- Pour the reserved pasta water over the sausages then add the garbanzo beans and the spinach. Return to a simmer and cook until the spinach begins to wilt.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cream and the Parmesan cheese. Divide evenly between 4 plates and serve with crusty bread.
Oh I bet this is good. I love gnocchi! I think it's the texture I love. Thanks for sharing, happy Saturday!