Ideal for weeknights meals, this gnocchi with chorizo sausage starts with store-bought gnocchi, combined with a quick, easy and delicious and spicy chorizo sauce.
When it comes to quick, weeknight meals, I love to make use of great store-bought gnocchi. There are some really great options out there, especially the frozen gnocchi. Having a bag or two in my freezer means a quick and easy dinner is always at hand.
Here I’ve combined gnocchi with a hearty, spicy chorizo sausage sauce, for something a little different. I love chorizo and was thrilled when my local grocery store started selling packages of fresh, loose chorizo sausage. Up until that point, I would simply buy fresh chorizo sausage and remove it from the casing. That works well as an alternative if you can’t find loose chorizo.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Gnocchi – you can use homemade, shelf-stable, fresh or frozen gnocchi for this recipe. My first choice for store-bought gnocchi is always the frozen ones. They are just about the best you can find, short of making them yourself.
Chorizo Sausage – Fresh chorizo sausage is pork sausage flavoured with chili peppers and is different from the Spanish, dry, cured type of chorizo sausage. Look for fresh chorizo sausage in the refrigerated meat section of your grocery store.
Ground Pork or Pork Sausage – I have made this one with all chorizo sausage, but honestly, it’s super spicy. Not for the faint of heart and almost certainly not kid-friendly. So I’ve taken to combining the chorizo with either ground pork or unflavoured, pure pork sausage, removed from the casing. The pork works to temper the spice of the finished dish, so you can easily adjust the amount you add to your level of spice tolerance. I tend to go 50/50, but feel free to adjust the ratio as you prefer.
Oregano – If you can, using fresh oregano in this dish is a super nice touch. Nothing like fresh herbs to elevate a simple and easy dish!
Recipe Tips
As mentioned above, I combine the chorizo sausage with either ground pork or simple (unflavoured) pork sausage, removed from it’s casing. I’m hesitant to suggest Italian sausage as an alternative here, as it is usually quite flavoured in a way that would alter the finished dish.
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing
You can make this gnocchi ahead and re-heat as it holds very well. Store left-overs in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze up to 2 months for longer storage.
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Get the Recipe: Gnocchi with Chorizo Sausage Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz potato gnocchi, Fresh, frozen or shelf-stable
Chorizo Sauce:
- 1/2 lb fresh chorizo sausage, loose or removed from casing
- 1/2 lb ground pork , or fresh pork sausage removed from casing
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 28 oz canned whole tomatoes, – tomatoes only (without juice), hand crushed OR About 1 3/4 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium bay leaf
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, minced, plus more for serving
For serving:
- Additional grated Parmesan
- Chopped fresh oregano leaves
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the chorizo sausage and pork. Cook, breaking up with the edge of a spoon, until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove to a plate. Spoon off and discard any fat in the pan.
- Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the same pan. Still over medium heat, add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, an additional 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Allow to cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the wine and allow to simmer until the wine is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the hand crushed tomatoes (without the juice), the bay leaf, sugar and chicken stock.
- Return the browned meat to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes, until reduced an thickened.
- Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water and cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- When chorizo sauce is reduced, stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and minced oregano leaves. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To serve: Combine the cooked gnocchi with the chorizo sauce in a large bowl. Garnish with additional Parmesan, fresh chopped oregano leaves and red chili flakes, if desired.
Notes
More Gnocchi Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Beautiful! I’ve made this 2 weeks in a row because chorizo was on discount. Followed the technique and most of the ingredients, but did change a few to suit what I had on hand. Also used twice the amount of meat but same amount of liquid. Can’t wait to have it again. Thank you!
So glad you are enjoying it, Chantal :) Thanks so much!
I love gnocchi and this is my idea cozy weeknight meal!
Thanks so much, Laura!
Bravo! As if especially made for me:) I am in complete agreement with your 50/50 ratio – as much as I love its spiciness, the flavor can get lost on me due to the heat, toning it down with ground pork is the way to go. Never had a chorizo meat sauce with gnocci though, for some reason I always gravitate towards creamy sauces or simply olive oil, herbs and Parmesan when I cook them (now I need to try frozen ones, the ones in your pictures look great). My gnocci horizon has now expanded:) Would love to try your recipe.
Thanks Milena and exactly! That’s my problem with spice. Too much of it just gets in the way of the great flavours :)
This looks delicious, Jennifer! Love the spicy flavour of chorizo and gnocchi is so good! This is my definition of comfort food :)
Thanks so much, Dawn :)
Such an easy and full of flavor dinner idea! I haven’t seen the frozen gnocchi but will definitely be looking for them. Thanks Jennifer!
Thanks so much, Chris! I hope you can find some frozen gnocchi. So nice (and easy :)
This looks delicious! However, I would be making it for people who don’t like very spicy foods. Would it be okay if I used non-chorizo sausage? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, Sure, if you can’t do spice at all, I would just substitute the chorizo for a mild Italian sausage. You could use all Italian sausage (so 1 lb.) or mix 1/2 lb. Italian sausage with either ground pork or beef. So you would be making more of a bolognese sauce for your gnocchi, but it would still be lovely and hearty :)
What an awesome comfort food dish Jennifer! I love gnocchi and chorizo, so this one will definitely be recreated at our house. Perfect with a glass of wine snuggled up by the fire with a bowl! I’m breaking out the fall/winter fat pants! Lol!
Thanks Mary Ann and yes, yay for stretchy pants :)
This is a showstopper, and I love that you used convenient packaged gnocchi, I love that stuff!
Thanks Sue and me, too! I have a great source for really great frozen gnocchi, which is a staple around here ;)
I never cook with chorizo… My hand automatically reaches for Italian sausage but I clearly need to expand my world! This looks and sounds wonderful!!
Thanks Annie! I love chorizo for a change from the usual. The spicy touch is great for Winter ;)
Great comfort food Jennifer! We love gnocchi and what a great way to enjoy it with our favorite spicy sausage :)
Thanks Tricia :)
After an hour or two at the dog park, I could use this dinner to warm my body and soul! Such a cozy, comforting meal!
Definitely Wendy! And the spicy chorizo is great for warming up :) Thanks!