A One-Pot Meal Perfect for Lazy Nights

Sometimes you just don’t feel like making dinner. But since we all must eat, having a recipe or two in your rotation that requires little to no effort can be just the thing to save you from last-minute meal mayhem.

This recipe takes the best of hearty, cozy and easy and mixes it with some health, too, so you can feel good about having seconds — which is a likely possibility. With pillowy gnocchi and fresh spinach, this soup comes together in under 30 minutes.

All you’ll need is a large pot or Dutch oven to get started, and a few ingredients you might have in the fridge already.

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Gnocchi Soup with Sausage and Spinach

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves crushed garlic

1 pound ground Italian sausage

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Italian seasoning, to taste

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups chicken broth

1 (16-ounce) package gnocchi

2 cups heavy cream

3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped

To Make:

1. Heat the olive oil in your large pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sausage to the hot pan and cook, intermittently breaking it up with a spoon until cooked through and browned.
3. Stir in tomato paste, salt and black pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, onion powder and garlic powder. Cook for 1 minute until the tomato paste darkens slightly.
4. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
5. Add the gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, careful not to let the pot boil over.
6. Reduce the heat to low once gnocchi are tender and stir in the heavy cream. Add the Parmesan and stir constantly until melted.
7. Add spinach and simmer for about 10 minutes until wilted.
8. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm.

Watch below to see how it all comes together:

More One-Pot and One-Pan Meal Ideas

One Pot Orzo and Meatballs — NYT Cooking

One Pot French Onion Pasta — The Pioneer Woman

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Potatoes — EatingWell

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pot Pie — Half Baked Harvest

Sheet Pan Salmon — Half Baked Harvest

What’s your favorite one-pot or one-pan meal to make? Let us know in the comments.

Sarah Vincelette

Based in Rhode Island, Sarah has been a copywriter and content producer with AAA Northeast since 2021. When she’s not scouring the best spots for all things food and drink or whipping up her own versions of tasty meals, you can often find her in the garden, planning her next trip or sipping on (another) hot coffee.