Easy Gnocchi Recipe with Chorizo & Creamy Spinach

An easy gnocchi recipe with chorizo and creamy spinach that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes.  This is a sure fire family favourite, and I guarantee that even the fussiest eater in your house will clear their plate in record time.  

TOTAL TIME INVESTMENT: 18 MINUTES

There are very few dishes that The Princess will actually request for dinner.  Chicken schnitzel is one meal that she regularly asks for.  Lemon tuna pasta is another.  And anything that includes gnocchi is guaranteed to be eaten without complaints.

There is always a bag of gnocchi in my freezer. I rely on it for a quick meal that I can pull together in less than 30 minutes with little thought. If you’re in the same boat, make sure you grab my free 30 Minute Meals e-book from the Resource Library. Simply click the link below or request the library password at the end of this post.

I knocked up this easy gnocchi recipe one evening when I became fed up with the usual sage and butter sauce I would normally coat the gnocchi with. I was after something with a little more flavour, and this chorizo and creamy spinach gnocchi sauce recipe delivers that flavour in spades.

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Now I need to be up front.  There is no recipe for making gnocchi from scratch to be found here.  Instead this recipe relies on very good quality purchased gnocchi to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.  Whilst I can make my own gnocchi, I really don’t bother as I can buy excellent packaged gnocchi locally.

If you do not have access to great premade gnocchi though, do consider making your own.  It is very easy to do, doesn’t take all that long, and will be substantially tastier than those starchy little bullets that supermarkets try to pass off as gnocchi.

Irrespective of whether you use homemade or bought gnocchi, I guarantee that this will be the best gnocchi recipe you will try this week.  Would I lie to you?

Ingredient Substitutions for This Easy Gnocchi Recipe

Simple recipes leave you little room to move when it comes to making substitutions.  Don’t let that stop you from making this easy gnocchi recipe your very own:

• Use any other full flavoured sausages in place of the fresh chorizo sausages.  Try a well spiced breakfast sausages, lamb merguez or tasty chicken sausages.  Although if substituting sausages, consider adding some chili flakes when you fry off the sausage meat to give the sauce a little kick.
• Replace the creme fraiche with sour cream.  Just keep the heat low when you add the sour cream so the sauce does not split.  You could also use fresh thickened cream, although add a little extra lemon juice if going this route to balance out the sauce.
• Young kale leaves will work well in place of the fresh spinach.

Gnocchi Dishes: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best sauce for gnocchi? Gnocchi is a great base for many different sauces.  Try frying some sage leaves in melted butter, and coat the cooked gnocchi with this simple sauce.  Or toss the gnocchi through a simple tomato pasta sauce.  Any cream based sauce will also be delicious.  Keep in mind that gnocchi are made from potato, so any flavours that pair well with potato will also go well with gnocchi.

Can you make gnocchi ahead of time? Gnocchi can be easily prepared ahead of mealtimes, however most gnocchi sauces are best prepared immediately prior to serving.

Can you freeze gnocchi in sauce?  It will depend on the sauce.  Gnocchi can be frozen in sage and butter sauce.  In most cases, it will be better to freeze the gnocchi and sauce separately, then combine them just before serving.  This chorizo and spinach sauce cannot be frozen.

Is gnocchi made with egg? Some gnocchi recipes contain egg.  However, most traditional Italian gnocchi recipes do not contain egg.

Tips & Tricks for This Creamy Chorizo Gnocchi Recipe

I make this dish a lot.  It takes little effort to prepare, and I am guaranteed a moan-free meal.  Two reasons that make it the best gnocchi recipe in my book.  And just so you know:

1. This recipe will not work with dried chorizo sausage.  The sauce relies on the texture of the cooked meat and will not work as well with slices of dried sausage.  However I am willing to be proved wrong, so if you try it then please let me know in the comments below.
2. I have fried off the sausage in advance, then just reheated the sausage meat and continued with the recipe to serve it.  This doesn’t save much time as it is such a quick recipe, but some days every single minute counts.
3. This chorizo gnocchi sauce is best made just prior to serving.  It can be reheated, but you do risk splitting the creme fraiche.
4. Any leftovers can be reheated the next day, but are not as good as the original dish.  Just so you know.

Other 30 Minute Meals You Might Like

Thirty minute meals are the mainstay of my recipe repertoire. And whilst I do have a slight reliance on pasta for ultra quick meals, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.

If you only have 30 minutes to cook something, why not try:

• Quick & Easy Fried Rice
• Ham & Brie Flatbreads
• Asparagus & Goat Cheese Frittata
• Creamy Tuna Pasta
• Easy Fish Curry

Enjoy!

Made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below.
And if you loved it, please don’t forget to rate it.

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Chorizo & Creamy Spinach Gnocchi

An easy gnocchi recipe with chorizo and creamy spinach that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. This is a sure fire family favourite, and I guarantee even the fussiest eater in your house will clear their plate in record time.

Course Appetiser/Main Meal, Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword best gnocchi recipe, gnocchi dishes, gnocchi sauce recipe

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 631kcal

Ingredients

• 400 g fresh chorizo sausages approx. 4 sausages
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 60 ml (4 Tablespoons) lemon juice
• 250 ml (1 cup) creme fraiche
• 200 g fresh spinach
• ground black pepper & sea salt
• 500 g gnocchi

Instructions

• Put a large pot of water for the gnocchi on to boil.
  
• Remove the skins from the fresh chorizo.
• Place a large fry pan over a medium heat and add the chorizo meat to the pan.
  
• Fry the chorizo, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the meat is browned and has started to release some of the flavoured fat from the sausage meat.  Take care not to stir the pan too much as you want the meat to brown a little on all sides. 
  
• Add the crushed garlic to the pan, and cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
  
• Pour the lemon juice into the pan, and allow it to bubble a little. Scrape the bottom of the pan to stir the browned meat juices into the lemon juice.  
  
• Add the creme fraiche to the pan and stir it through the sausage meat.
• By now the water in the large pot should have come to the boil.  Pour the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. 
  
• Whilst the gnocchi is cooking, stir the spinach through the creamy chorizo sauce in the fry pan and allow it to wilt slightly.
• As the gnocchi bubbles to the surface of the boiling water, scoop the cooked gnocchi directly into the chorizo and spinach sauce with a slotted spoon.
• Gently stir the cooked gnocchi through the chorizo and spinach sauce to coat the gnocchi.
  
• Season well with ground black pepper.  You may also need to season with salt if the sausages weren’t that salty. 
  
• The sauce should be loose enough as the water clinging to the gnocchi as it is transferred to the fry pan should be enough to thin out the sauce.  If you do find the sauce a little dry, add a little of the hot gnocchi cooking water at this stage to loosen it. 
  
• Serve the gnocchi immediately in warmed pasta bowls.

Notes

1. This recipe will not work with dried chorizo sausage.  Make sure to use fresh sausage only in this sauce. 
2. The sausage can be fried off in advance, although this doesn’t save all that much time given this is such a quick recipe. 
3. This gnocchi sauce is best made just prior to serving.  It can be reheated, but you do risk splitting the creme fraiche.
4. Any leftovers can be reheated the next day, but they don’t taste quite as god as the first time around. 

Update Notes: This post was published on 9th November 2018. A Table of Contents was added on 29th May 2019.