These cassava gnocchi with sausage and arugula make a quick, satisfying skillet meal with fresh spring onions, garlic, lemon zest, and a light, creamy hemp milk sauce. Made with my homemade gluten-free green gnocchi, the entire dish comes together in about 15 minutes — especially convenient when you have a batch of gnocchi waiting in the freezer.
A quick meal using frozen cassava gnocchi
This recipe is one of the reasons I love keeping homemade gnocchi on hand. I originally created the green gnocchi as a way to use an abundance of arugula, spring onions, and spring garlic from our garden. Once shaped, they freeze beautifully and can become the foundation of a quick lunch or dinner like this one. You can find the complete recipe and step-by-step process here: Homemade Cassava Gnocchi with Arugula (Gluten-Free).
There is no need to thaw the gnocchi completely before cooking them. Take them out of the freezer about 10 minutes before you begin, then add them directly to the skillet once the sausage is nearly cooked. I use about 10 gnocchi per serving.
The sausage brings richness and makes this a substantial meal. I used homemade fresh pork sausage, but fresh chicken sausage would work equally well. If your sausage is in a casing, remove the casing and crumble the meat into the skillet.
For a meat-free version, replace the sausage with sliced mushrooms and sauté them until well browned before adding the gnocchi.
Fresh, peppery and lightly creamy
Spring onions and spring garlic complement the greens already used in the gnocchi. If spring garlic is unavailable, substitute a few regular garlic cloves, using less according to their size and intensity.
Fresh arugula added near the end intensifies the peppery flavor without becoming overly wilted. Lemon zest brightens the entire dish, while a small amount of hemp milk thickened with tapioca starch creates a light dairy-free sauce that coats the gnocchi and sausage.
How to make cassava gnocchi with sausage and arugula
Warm the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over low to medium heat. Add the chopped spring onions and spring garlic and sauté gently for about one minute, just until fragrant.
Add the sliced or crumbled sausage and cook until it is browned and fully cooked through. The exact time will depend on the thickness and type of sausage you use.
Add the gnocchi and gently stir to coat them with the oil and aromatics. Cook for four to five minutes, turning them occasionally so they warm through and develop a little color.
Stir in the fresh arugula and cook for about one minute, until it begins to wilt. Reduce the heat to low.
In a small bowl, whisk the hemp milk and tapioca starch until smooth. Pour the mixture into the skillet, add the lemon zest, and gently stir everything together. Cook for about one minute, just until the sauce lightly thickens and coats the gnocchi.
Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Taste before adding salt, as the amount needed will depend on your sausage. Serve immediately.
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Cassava Gnocchi with Sausage and Arugula
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Description
These cassava gnocchi with sausage and arugula make a quick, satisfying skillet meal with fresh spring onions, garlic, lemon zest, and a light, creamy hemp milk sauce. Made with my homemade gluten-free green gnocchi, the entire dish comes together in about 15 minutes — especially convenient when you have a batch of gnocchi waiting in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 spring onions, finely chopped
- 4 spring garlic stalks, bulbs and stems finely chopped
- 4–6 ounces (115–170 grams) fresh pork or chicken sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled
- 20 homemade green cassava gnocchi
- 2 handfuls fresh arugula
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) unsweetened hemp milk
- 1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch
- Zest of 1 small organic lemon
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over low to medium heat. Add the spring onions and spring garlic and sauté for about one minute, until fragrant.
- Add the crumbled sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and fully cooked through.
- Add the gnocchi and gently stir to coat them with the oil and aromatics. Cook for four to five minutes, turning occasionally, until heated through and lightly golden in places.
- Add the arugula and cook for about one minute, until it begins to wilt. Reduce the heat to low.
- In a small bowl, whisk the hemp milk and tapioca starch until smooth. Pour the mixture into the skillet and add the lemon zest. Gently stir and cook for about one minute, until the sauce lightly thickens and coats the gnocchi.
- Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
The gnocchi do not need to be completely thawed. Remove them from the freezer about 10 minutes before cooking.
If spring garlic is unavailable, substitute regular garlic, adjusting the amount according to the size and intensity of the cloves. Just be careful as minced garlic will cook much faster than green garlic (add it later).
Unsweetened hemp milk is the best for a savory dish, and very easy to make at home: just blend hemp hearts with water and a pinch of salt until creamy. You could also use another neutral-flavored, unsweetened plant milk, like almond milk.
For a meat-free version, replace the sausage with sliced mushrooms and sauté them until well browned before adding the gnocchi.
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