Baked Gnocchi

Whitney wanted to get together to watch the big Grey's Anatomy season finale last Thursday, so I told her if she came to my house that I would make dinner....which is an invitation that she has a hard time turning down! (Side Note: I am not very happy with the way the show ended....they are making me wait a whole summer to see if they live or die!) I wanted to make something that was quick and wouldn't require me having to go to the store. I looked in my cupboards and found some Vodka pasta sauce and some gnocchi; in the fridge I had baby spinach and mozzarella cheese; and in the freezer some chicken Italian sausages and garlic bread....viola...an easy Italian meal! I had never actually made gnocchi before, but fell in love with it at this little Italian restaurant in downtown San Diego called Buon Appetito, and since you can buy them already made, I figured I would give it a try!

I will post how I put this together, but it is really just more of a starting point. You can vary the ingredients based on your taste preferences or what you have on hand, but here is what I used.

Baked Gnocchi

1 (16 oz. ) pkg. vacuum packed, gnocchi
4 Chicken Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 c. raw baby spinach
1 jar Vodka pasta sauce

1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat a large pot of water to boiling; pour in gnocchi and cook until they float to the top. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet and saute sausage until fully cooked. When the sausage is just about done, add in the spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Add sausage mixture to gnocchi and pour in pasta sauce until desired sauce level (I used about 3/4 of the jar). Place mixture in a 7 x 11 inch. glass baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve with garlic bread.

This turned out really yummy, Whitney and I both loved the flavors; and I loved how easy it was! I can't wait to try some different variations!