Crispy gnocchi, sausage and vegetables

A one-pan wonder of a meal!

This is a fabulously delicious dish that can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated in a large airtight container until you’re ready to cook it. Note that the recipe calls for already-cooked shelf-stable or ‘skillet’ potato gnocchi (not the kind that needs to be boiled). If you halve the recipe, it could be prepared in an air fryer with the crisping tray removed. Cooking time in an air fryer will be a bit less and you would need to toss the ingredients more frequently while cooking. In the unlikely event that you end up with leftovers of this delicious meal, I can confirm they are stellar the next day with a fried egg on top.

Ingredients

• 2 cups quartered cremini or button mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped red onion, in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 2 cups chopped red or yellow bell pepper, in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Few pinches ground sage
• 3 cups (425 g) cubed butternut squash (1/2 inch or 1.25 cm sized pieces)
• 1 pound (454 g) shelf-stable or ‘skillet’ potato gnocchi
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large uncooked sweet or hot Italian sausages
• 1/2 cup (40 g) grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
• Sour cream and/or Dijon mustard, to serve

Method

• This dish is best prepared on one large, parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet but you can divide the mixture among two smaller pans if that’s all you have.
• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Place chopped peppers, mushrooms and onions in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the olive oil plus half the thyme leaves and a pinch of ground sage. Toss gently and transfer to the sheet pan.
• Place the cubed squash and gnocchi in the same bowl (don’t wipe it out) and drizzle with another 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of oil plus remaining thyme leaves and another pinch of ground sage. Toss to coat evenly then add the squash and gnocchi to the sheet pan. Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper then toss gently to combine, spreading mixture out in a single layer.
• Note that if you wish, you can prep all the vegetables ahead of time, including drizzling with oil, then refrigerate for up to 24 hours before proceeding to spread them on the pan and add the sausage.
• With the tip of a sharp knife, slice the casings of the sausages lengthwise and peel them off, discarding the casings. Cut (or use your fingers to break apart) the sausages into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and nestle them at random intervals into the vegetable mixture on the sheet pan, as shown below.

• Place the sheet pan in the centre of the preheated oven and bake, stirring gently after 20 minutes. Bake another 15-20 minutes, until the squash is tender and sausage registers 160F with an instant-read thermometer.
• To crisp up the gnocchi, turn on the broiler above the sheet pan for 3-4 minutes, watching carefully so nothing burns.
• Remove sheet pan from oven and divide vegetables, gnocchi and sausage among four broad bowls. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan over each bowl and serve hot, with sour cream and Dijon on the side.

Makes 4 servings.