In this sumptuous gnocchi recipe, we showcase the salsiccia di Norcia (Norcia sausage) - its ancient namesake town located in the province of Perugia, towards the centre of Lo Stivale. Made with the highest quality cuts of pork, combined with garlic and a simple blend of seasoning, the sausage is a prevalent ingredient in cooking across Italy. If you can’t quite source the prized salsiccia di Norcia - we admit, this can prove tricky - be sure to use another high quality sausage in your dish; aim for a high meat content for a better result.
Our sausage gnocchi recipe celebrated the famous Norcian export, which is enrobed in a light and glossy white wine sauce. Fresh tenderstem broccoli lends a pleasant bite, while classic flavours like fennel, garlic and chilli add depth. Paired with delightfully chewy gnocchi morsels, these ingredients combine to form a rustic yet tempting dish. Finish with a generous blanked of punchy Parmigiano Reggiano, and you’re left with a stunning midweek dinner.
Our sausage gnocchi recipe with tenderstem broccoli
Serves 4
Prep time: 60-90 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Calories per serving: 525 kcal
Ingredients
- 600g fresh gnocchi - see our guide to making gnocchi from scratch
- 200g Norcia sausage or good quality sausage meat (you can use sausage links here, just remove their casing before cooking)
- 200g tenderstem broccoli
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- ¾ glass of dry white wine
- ½ tsp Fennel seeds
- ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 50ml heavy cream (optional)
Method
- Prepare your gnocchi, following our simple guide. You can also follow along as Roberta makes gnocchi in the video below.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, before adding the garlic, and gently frying until golden.
- Remove the mixture from the pan and set to one side, then increase the heat of the pan. Take the sausage meat from their casings, breaking the filling into small pieces and adding in the pan, frying until nicely browned.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, allowing the mixture to simmer until the alcohol is evaporated.
- Add the shallot and garlic back into the pan, along with the fennel and chilli flakes, allowing the mixture to cook for a couple of minutes to ensure the flavours meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a separate pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of water, then add tender stem broccoli. We like to chop ours into manageable, bite-sized pieces prior to this. Cover with the pan lid, and allow to gently steam for five minutes - we enjoy our broccoli with a little bit of bite. Remove from the pan, and toss in the sausage mixture.
- Boil your formed gnocchi in generously salted water for approximately 2-3 minutes, or until each dumpling has risen to the surface of the liquid. Once done, strain the gnocchi (ensuring to save a cup or so of the cooking water) and add it to the pan with the sausage and broccoli.
- Toss the gnocchi in the mixture, adding reserved pasta water if necessary, to render a glossy sauce that coats each dumpling.
- Serve with a generous lashing of Parmigiano Reggiano and enjoy immediately.
There's never been a better time to have fun at home. And if you ask us, making fresh gnocchi from scratch is the greatest fun of all! Our pasta making kits come with all of the tools you need to make this delicious pasta, taking all of the stress out of the process.
Yearning for more delicious sausage pasta recipes? Look no further than our four favourite Italian sausage recipes blog. Be sure to tag any pasta creations on social media, using #Pastaevangelists. Buon Appetito!
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