Beef Sausage & Tomato Gnocchi

I absolutely love gnocchi, so I jump at the chance to cook with it. I have to make a confession though, I don't always make it from scratch; there are so many great pre-packaged options available to us nowadays, which is a perfect option for weeknight dinners.

This gnocchi recipe combines few ingredients that you will be able to find in any supermarket, if not in your pantry already! The rich tomato sauce is flavoured with sweet onion and garlic, rich herbs and a little chilli kick - coating the juicy sausage meat pieces beautifully dispersed through the sauce. Top with freshly grated mountains of parmesan cheese, and you're in for a deliciously indulgent dinner that the entire family will love! This comfortably feeds 5-6 adults, and will freeze beautifully to cover you for dinner another night. Bon appetit!

Ingredients (serves 5-6)

1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 beef sausages, meat squeezed out from casings
1TBSP dried rosemary
1TBSP dried thyme
1 carrot, grated
2 courgettes, grated
2 x 400g tins whole tomatoes
Pinch of chilli flakes
3/4 cup cream
2 x 500g packs gnocchi
2 cups baby spinach
Grated parmesan, when serving

Soften the onion and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat. Once softened, add the dried herbs followed by the sausage meat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage while it cooks, until the pieces are golden brown.
Stir in the grated carrot and courgette, then cook for a few minutes. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
After simmering, stir in the chilli flakes, cream and seasoning to taste. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the gnocchi as per the pack instruction. Once cooked, drain but reserve a 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
Fold the drained gnocchi and 1/2 cup of liquid through the sauce, then divide amongst serving bowls.
Serve with lots of freshly grated parmesan!