Baked Cauliflower Gnocchi with Sausage
For this sheet pan meal we’re roasting Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi with broccoli, tomatoes, and sausage. It’s all beautifully flavored with simple seasonings, fresh parsley, and lemon juice.
Last week I shared a little of my recipe testing process for this beauty in my instagram stories. I heard from so many people asking for me to share the finished recipe as soon as possible. So while today’s new recipe was supposed to be seafood (don’t worry, I just pushed that one to next week but its coming soon) I shifted around my schedule to get this recipe published first.
As a Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi fanatic I totally understand the appeal. Their gnocchi really captures the texture and flavor of a regular potato gnocchi. It’s just brilliant!
The obvious way to prepare it is in a skillet on the stovetop. It works like a charm. But then I had a crazy impulse to try baking it so that I could incorporate it into a sheet pan meal. Think about all the incredible ingredients you can combine it with that just won’t all comfortably fit in a skillet!
Well the first two attempts had me a little worried because the gnocchi came out too soft. So I took the extra step of thawing the gnocchi first and increasing the cooking time. Oh baby, that’s the ticket! This way the gnocchi gets that golden browning we all love. Plus we’re getting flavorful veggies, fresh parsley, and a big burst of lemon. This sheet pan meal is divine and you’re going to be a fan.
For this recipe you’ll need (full list of ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below):
- Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi
- Fully cooked sausages
- Broccoli
- Grape tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Seasonings
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon juice
Thaw the frozen gnocchi.
Once thawed, spread it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. You’ll notice that they start to brown a bit in this step but they aren’t done yet.
Remove from the oven and add sausage, broccoli, and tomatoes to the pan. Coat with olive oil and seasonings. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir. Bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stir in fresh parsley and lemon juice.
What size baking sheet is best to use?
I use a 12 x 17 baking sheet for all my sheet pan recipes. This accommodates a lot of food without overcrowding.
What kind of sausage is best to use?
For this recipe you want to use a fully cooked dinner sausage. You can find it in your grocery store’s refrigerated case beside hot dogs.
The brand I purchase most often is Applegate. It’s delicious and free of nitrates and nitrates. Their Fire Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Italian flavors are my current favorites. Another great brand to check out is Aidells if you’re wanting a different option with clean ingredients. But really any fully cooked sausage will work so if you have a brand you love go with it!
Chicken, beef, turkey, or pork sausage will all work.
Can you cook the cauliflower gnocchi frozen?
Absolutely not. Thawing the gnocchi is not an optional step. You must thaw it. I have tested this and baking the still frozen gnocchi will result in incredibly mushy gnocchi. Thaw that gnocchi first, friend.
Does this sheet pan meal taste like cauliflower?
Not even a little. Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi doesn’t have a cauliflower flavor at all.
Can you make this in advance?
Gnocchi gets softer as its reheated so I find it’s best to enjoy it immediately after cooking. (You can and I do eat leftover gnocchi. The flavor is still great but the texture isn’t as good.)
Baked Cauliflower Gnocchi with Sausage
Ingredients
- 12 oz Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi, thawed
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided, extra virgin
- 12 oz fully cooked sausages
- 12 oz broccoli florets
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Thaw the cauliflower gnocchi. I like to take it out of the fridge a few hours before making it so it has plenty of time to thaw and its ready to go when I'm ready to prepare dinner.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 12 x 17 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add thawed gnocchi to prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Use your hands or a spatula to move the gnocchi around so that it's coated in oil. Then spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove gnocchi from the oven. You'll see that the bottoms have started to brown a bit.
- Add broccoli, sausage, and tomatoes to the baking sheet. Drizzle remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over everything. Season with salt, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and pepper. Use a spatula or your hands to move ingredients around so everything is well coated with the oil and seasoning. Then spread ingredients into a single layer. (Do not pile ingredients on top of each other or they will not cook evenly.)
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and use a spatula to flip ingredients. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Drizzle lemon juice and gently stir in fresh chopped parsley before serving.
2 Comments on “Baked Cauliflower Gnocchi with Sausage”
This was fantastic!  The whole family loved it.  We don’t have a Trader Joe’s but we found gluten free cauliflower gnocchi at Target and it worked out perfectly. The lemon and parsley added a great brightness at the end! Â
Perfect! I love how much easier it is to find cauliflower gnocchi these days!