Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Spicy Sausage and Broccolini
Crispy gnocchi, spicy sausage, and charred broccolini come together in this easy, one-pan dinner that’s bursting with flavor. Everything roasts together on a sheet pan—no boiling required—while lemon juice and crumbled goat cheese add the perfect bright and creamy finish. Quick, hearty, and packed with greens, this meal is a weeknight winner!
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Spicy Sausage and Broccolini Ingredients
Gnocchi: I use frozen cauliflower gnocchi for sheet pan meals because of the extra moisture from being frozen; the gnocchi doesn’t dry out in the oven for this reason. You can put it on the sheet pan frozen, no need to defrost or pre-cook. Shelf stable gnocchi will also work, mind the cook time as it may need less time to crisp up.
Broccolini: Broccolini is like broccoli’s elegant, slightly sweeter cousin—tender stalks, delicate florets, and a mild, peppery bite. It cooks quickly and adds a perfect balance of freshness, crunch, and a hint of earthiness to any dish. Roasting it brings a vibrant contrast to the other rich flavors. Its natural sweetness intensifies with a quick char, making it a standout addition to sheet pan meals and more.
Spicy Sausage: Spicy Italian sausage brings bold, savory heat with notes of garlic, fennel, and red pepper. Its rich, juicy texture makes it a flavor powerhouse, adding depth and a little kick to any dish. It’s the perfect way to turn simple ingredients—like pasta and roasted veggies—into something hearty and flavorful. Swaps and substitutions included below for this one.
Goat Cheese: Goat cheese is creamy, tangy, and just the right amount of rich. Its smooth texture makes it perfect for spreading, crumbling, or melting into dishes. The bright, slightly citrusy flavor balances out the bold ingredients in this recipe. Omit for dairy-free as needed, or swap for another crumbly cheese like feta or freshly grated parmesan.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
4
servings15
minutes25
minutesCrispy gnocchi, spicy sausage, and charred broccolini come together in this easy, one-pan dinner that’s bursting with flavor. Everything roasts together on a sheet pan—no boiling required—while lemon juice and crumbled goat cheese add the perfect bright and creamy finish. Quick, hearty, and packed with greens, this meal is a weeknight winner!
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Ingredients
12 ounces frozen gnocchi (I use frozen gluten-free cauliflower gnocchi)
8 ounces broccolini, chopped into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 packed cups chopped kale
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound ground spicy Italian pork or chicken sausage
juice of 1 lemon
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese, for topping (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare a large sheet pan (option to line with parchment paper).
- Add the gnocchi, broccolini, kale, shallot, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the sheet pan. Toss to coat the gnocchi and vegetables evenly with the oil and spices, taking care to massage the oil into the kale so it doesn’t burn, and spread everything out in one even layer.
- With lightly oiled hands, shape the ground sausage into 16 to 18 evenly sized meatballs, and place them on the sheet pan, clearing small openings between the gnocchi and vegetables.
- Bake until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165F and the vegetables and gnocchi are crisp, 17 to 22 minutes.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice and sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese over top. Divide evenly among 4 plates to serve.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. If meal prepping, store without the goat cheese on top. Freeze the meatballs for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Heat in the air fryer at 350F until warm, 5 to 7 minutes. Or, microwave until warm, about 2 minutes.
- Goat Cheese: Swap this for feta or freshly grated parmesan if preferred. Omit for a dairy-free option, or swap with a dairy-free cheese.
- Spicy Sausage: Swap for regular ground Italian sausage to omit the spice, or make mini ground chicken or turkey meatballs seasoned with Italian seasoning. To save time, skip shaping the sausage, just spread out sausage crumbles evenly across the sheet pan, adjust bake time accordingly. For a plant-based option, use vegetarian sausage or sausage crumbles.
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Done this evening and soo good!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Aurore!
Hi Kate! Are you using kosher salt, not table salt? Just make sure since table salt is 2x as salty as kosher and makes a big difference! The saltiness of the sausage you choose to use can affect the salt of the dish as well.
NEW FAV!! I love this recipe. Thanks Jenn!!
Wow – really, really great; super easy and barely any dishes. I upped the veggies a bit and threw them on the sheet pan with rustic “blobs” of sausage and ended up sautéing my gnocchi for 5 mins (as my sheet pan got pretty crowded) and threw the whole thing in a serving bowl. Teen boys ATE IT ALL. It’s a winner.
This is phenomenal!!! Fed 4 of us plus some left overs. I used double the broccolini because it can cook down so much. Fresh gnocchi worked really well and spicy chicken sausage. Will be making so many more times.
This was easy to make and delicious! Superb dish! Forget to put the lemon and goat cheese on until halfway through the meal, it was that yummy I didn’t notice it was missing! Of course, the addition of them was good, and I particularly enjoyed the creaminess of the goat cheese. I’m not a kale enjoyer, so I didn’t add 2 cups, but next time I definitely would. The kale gets nice and crispy in the oven and is delish! My store didn’t have frozen gnocchi, so I just used regular and put it straight on the pan without boiling. I think I ended up cooking it for about 21 minutes and everything came out fantastic. Great recipe, Jenn!
I would eat this daily if it weren’t for my husband. There are only a few perfect meals in this world and this is one of them.
This recipe has gone triple platinum in every one of my college dorms. You can mix and match vegetables, spicy or mild sausage, and goat cheese or feta. Endless options that are all DELICIOUS! The perfect set and forget recipe
This is absolutely one of my favorites! It’s so good and so easy and the leftovers work just as well the next night. Love it!