Anytime I find a new recipe with pesto I seriously can’t wait to make it and I don’t think I have ever come across one I don’t like. This pesto baked gnocchi recipe is fairly easy and super filling. It’s packed with flavor and worked perfectly for leftovers for the rest of the week making mine and Kirby’s life way easier. We have been so busy lately especially with all that traveling so making these big family style meals really helps us out though the week.
I have quite the obsession with pesto and I’m always searching for new recipes to make it with. My favorite way to eat it is the classic pesto sauce over pasta dish. Nothing beats that, but this gnocchi dish is definitely a close second! My family actually has a recipe for homemade pesto that I still use today! I grow basil over the summer to freeze 25+ recipes of pesto to use through the winter and trust me when I say we use almost all of them! Find my Homemade Pesto Sauce recipe here!
The original recipe used kale instead of spinach, but neither Kirby nor I our huge fans of kale so we made the switch, but you could use either. We also used Spicy Italian Sausage instead of pork rolled sausage to give it a bit more flavor and added more garlic (per usual) because you can never have too much garlic.
Hope you enjoy!

Cook Time | 45 Minutes |
Passive Time | 5 Minutes |
Servings |
Servings
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- 1 lb Package Potato Gnocchi
- 14 oz Spicy Italian Ground Sausage
- 4 Cups Spinach Chopped
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 4-5 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 2 Tbsp All-Pupose Flour
- 1 Cup Milk
- 3/4 Cup Pesto
- 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese Divided
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain and set aside. Place skillet back on the heat and cook the spinach for 5 minutes, or until tender. Pour sausage back in the skillet.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour until mixture thickens. Add the milk and whisk until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the pesto and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Combine the gnocchi, sausage, and spinach and pour into prepared pan. Pour the sauce evenly over gnocchi. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gnocchi is bubbling. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Find the original recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod
Find the recipe for my Homemade Pesto Sauce here