Italian-American · main

Baked Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomato Cream

Name: Baked Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomato Cream
Prep time: 33 min
Total time: 34 min
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: olive oil — 14 g; sweet italian sausage — 454 g; yellow onion — 110 g; garlic — 12 g; red chili flakes — 3 g; tomatoes — 794 g; salt — 5 g; dried leaf oregano — 1 g; baby potatoes — 454 g; heavy cream — 118 g; shredded mozzarella — 237 g; parmesan cheese — 28 g; basil — 15 g; freshly ground black pepper — 1 g

Baked Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomato Cream reads umami 7.5, richness 6.4 and salinity 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 34 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.1 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.7 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.5 · Richness 6.4 · Salinity 4.7 · Allium 4.3 · Sweetness 3.6 · Herbaceous 3.5 · Earthy 2.6 · Heat 2.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Sourness 1.9 · Nutty 1.9 · Fruity 1.9 · Floral 1.7 · Citrus 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1

What's in it (14)

olive oil — 14 g
sweet italian sausage — 454 g
yellow onion — 110 g
garlic — 12 g
red chili flakes — 3 g
tomatoes — 794 g
salt — 5 g
dried leaf oregano — 1 g
baby potatoes — 454 g
heavy cream — 118 g
shredded mozzarella — 237 g
parmesan cheese — 28 g
basil — 15 g
freshly ground black pepper — 1 g

Time & effort: about 34 min (33 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 135.7 kcal, 6.8 g protein, 6.3 g fat, 13.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Preheat the oven to 425 F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the gnocchi.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles with a spoon, and cook until deeply browned and no longer pink, 6-7 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook until softened and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and oregano. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, cook the gnocchi in the boiling water just until they float, about 90 seconds - a touch shy of the package time, since they'll finish cooking in the oven and this keeps them tender instead of gummy. Drain well and set aside.
Stir the cream into the sauce and simmer 1-2 minutes, until slightly thickened again. Remove from the heat and fold in the drained gnocchi and half the mozzarella, stirring gently until the gnocchi are coated and the cheese is melted.
Scatter the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan evenly over the top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden in spots, 10-12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes, then scatter the torn basil and a crack of black pepper over the top before serving.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Baked Ziti with Sausage and Ricotta — Italian-American
Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Rigatoni — Italian-American
Rigatoni alla Vodka with Italian Sausage — Italian-American
Baked Tortellini in Creamy Tomato Sauce — Italian-American
Pachamanca a la Olla — Peruvian

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.