I promised you guys I’d share my recipe for one of my favorite go-to quick dinner ideas – a Turkey Sausage, Cauliflower Gnocchi and Spinach Skillet. We make this often on nights where we need dinner in a pinch because I forgot to put something in the slow cooker (whoops!) or on a weekend, when we don’t spend as much time cooking.
It’s actually quite versatile and you can add in some extra veggies or spices to customize it to your liking. I will often add sliced mushrooms if we have some in the fridge, and we’ll make ours a little on the spicy side with some red pepper flakes. I also wanted it to have sauce to prevent the gnocchi from being overly dry, so I played around with some Paleo cream sauce recipes until I found one that worked.
Sausage, Cauliflower Gnocchi + Spinach Skillet | Dairy-Free + Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 12-16 oz package of Turkey or Chicken Sausage links
- 2 packages of Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi
- 2-3 cups baby spinach
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 tbs tapioca starch
- 1 package of sliced mushrooms
- Olive oil
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Red pepper flakes
- Basil
Instructions
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat (I know non-stick pans are bad, but it is the best type for this gnocchi!) on your cooktop with an ample amount of olive oil, usually around 2 tbs depending on the size of the pan. Trust me when I say, you need it to prevent the gnocchi from sticking!
- Pour in your gnocchi, spread it evenly so all pieces are touching the bottom of the pan. If you only have a small pan, it may be best to cook each bag of gnocchi in separate batches to ensure they cook well and don't stick. Allow the gnocchi to cook on one side until they start browning, for at least 5 minutes but possibly more. When one side is browned, you'll want to flip them over to crisp up the other side.
- While the gnocchi is cooking, cut your sausage links into thin slices and set aside.
- When the gnocchi is fully cooked, golden brown and not too sticky on the outside, remove from pan and set aside.
- Add a bit more olive oil to pan, add mushrooms and saute until cooked.
- Add sausage slices and heat through.
- Next, add spinach and allow it to wilt completely.
- Remove contents from pan, then pour in your can of coconut milk and allow it to heat in the skillet.
- This is optional, but I find it works best this way: remove a few tbs of the heated coconut milk and add to a small bowl along with the 1 tbs of tapioca starch, whisking until thoroughly mixed. Return to skillet and allow the coconut milk to thicken over the heat. Add in spices of your choice at this time, too.
- When the sauce has thickened up a bit, start by adding the sausage, spinach and mushrooms and then the cooked cauliflower gnocchi. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve!
I have also made this recipe without coconut milk, using chicken broth and thickening it with cornstarch or tapioca starch. I think the coconut milk version is my favorite, because it tastes more indulgent and rich, but it can be done without. Also, if you’ve ever made Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi before, you probably learned NOT to follow the package cooking instructions! Trust me on that, they will turn into mush and stick to your pan if you follow those instructions – so be sure to cook them in a preheated, well-oiled skillet to crisp them up properly. If you have other cauliflower gnocchi cooking tips – feel free to leave them in the comments below! It seems to be one of the Internet’s most popular questions these days. 🙂
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