Creamy sausage gnocchi bake

Family-friendly comfort food at its very best Creamy sausage gnocchi bake. Transform a pack of sausages into a hearty gnocchi bake, with fresh spinach and three types of cheese.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 300g/10½oz sausages (herby or spicy both work well), skins removed and broken into pieces
• 150ml/¼ pt chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
• 150g/5½oz baby spinach
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 150g/5½oz mascarpone
• handful grated Parmesan
• 100g/3½oz frozen petit pois
• 500g/1lb 2oz gnocchi
• handful grated mature cheddar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method for Creamy sausage gnocchi bake

1. Add the oil to an ovenproof frying pan set over a medium heat, then add the onion. Cook for 3–5 minutes until softened and starting to colour, then add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.

2. Turn the heat to high and add the sausage meat. Fry, breaking any large lumps up with your spoon, until the meat is turning golden brown, around 5–7 minutes. Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping any bits off the bottom. Once the stock has reduced by half, turn the heat down and add the spinach and nutmeg. Preheat the grill to high.

3. Once the spinach has wilted, add the mascarpone, half of the Parmesan and the peas. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until the mascarpone has melted, then remove from the heat.

4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the gnocchi. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon once they float to the surface (around 1–2 minutes), then transfer straight to the sauce and mix well.

5. Top with the grated cheddar and remaining Parmesan. Grill for around 10 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve immediately.