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Well, aren’t you glad it’s time for a little Italian?
Cause um, I SO am.
Gnocchi with ragu? Yes, please.
Am I totally annoying you now? SORRY. I have kind of been in this mood lately where I am saying weird things and acting all funny. My random texts are even better. Pretty sure my brother thinks I am going through an early twenty’s life crisis.
Pretty sure I just really like messing with him. I think it may be all these paint fumes, they are starting to get to my brain. UGH. Workers need to be done working already. Yes, yes, yes!!
See, what I mean? It’s all just getting to me. Like my mind needs a little time without hammers and saws and paint smells. Soon though…or hopefully soon!!
Ok, so now that we have all officially witnessed my craziness let’s talk about some Italian goodness! This crockpot Tuscan sausage and white bean ragu with buttered gnocchi is definitely going to make your favorites list.
Honestly, I do not know why on earth I don’t make more dishes like this. Ragu sauces are just so good, and a giant bowl of buttered gnocchi can almost NEVER be beat. It’s incredibly cozy and delicious.
Oh and SO easy!! You do not even need to brown the sausage before adding it the crockpot. Yes, I am serious, and I promise you will not end up with a clump of sausage because instead of browning the meat, I rolled the sausage into tiny little meatballs. I do this a lot with sausage, especially when I make another recipe we all simply call Penne. Normally I would recommend browning the meat first, it just gives the meat a great caramelization, but in this case, adding the meat directly to the crockpot adds so much flavor to the sauce because all the juices drip off directly into the ragu.
Also, I totally just did not want to dirty a pan, and even worse – dirty up my new stove! What? Well, it was cold and snowing, and I believe it was also a Saturday, I just wanted to toss everything in, forget about it and go back to sleep…gosh I love cozy winter days.
Double also, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who left a comment on my Sunday post. I have slowly been working my way through each comment and trying to respond to everyone. Sorry if you have yet to receive a response, the way my comments work is pretty wacko and it’s hard to keep track of where I left off. Anyway, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone, in case I missed ya. Your kind words and your tips all put a big smile on my face.
I feel a whole lot less embarrassed now, just excited to slowly make this place my own and show you guys what I come up with along the way! So thanks again!
Anyway, this ragu is perfect for a busy weekday or even a casual Saturday night of entertaining. I would definitely grab some extra crusty bread to mop up all that extra sauce. I’d also load up on the parmesan because, well that’s just me lovin’ my cheese, and hey, it’s winter and cheese just makes a dish that much cozier.
And even though I love gnocchi and highly recommend you use it, you can also use pasta. I think the gnocchi is spot on perfect here, but if you’re not a big gnocchi fan, like my dad (are you guys crazy?!?), or you just don’t have gnocchi on hand, any cut of pasta, or even a creamy polenta (YUM!), would work awesome.
Crockpot Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Ragu with Buttered Gnocchi.
Servings: 6 SERVINGS
Calories Per Serving: 602 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a sweet onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole san marzano tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 leaves bay
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale roughly chopped
- 3 cups cooked white beans
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 2 tablespoons butter
- fresh basil and parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Using your hands, crush the tomatoes over the bowl of a 4-8 quart crockpot. Add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
- Now grab the sausage and roll it into very tiny, bite size balls, adding the to the crockpot as you go. The smaller you can roll the balls, the better. Gently stir the sausage into the sauce. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the kale and white beans. Crank the heat up to high, cover and cook another 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to package directions and then toss with 2 tablespoons butter and a little fresh basil + parmesan.
- To serve, divide the gnocchi among plates or bowls. Top with the ragu and then garnish with basil and parmesan. Enjoy!
Just promise me one thing. You will not, for any reason, skimp on the parmesan. K? GOOD. Now let’s make some ragu!
This post was originally published on January 15, 2015
This is absolutely going on our dinner menu next week. Can’t wait to try it!
Awesome, hope you guys love it!!
Ah that ragu! I wish it was simmering in my kitchen right now.
Thank you so much!
I love this dish. It sounds so tasty. I love the idea of using sausage since it already has so much flavor. Looks like a great dish
Thanks so much, Diane!
This looks like a big bowl of comforting yum….Gnocchi is well loved in our house as well as crock pot recipes that are easy to throw together. Pinning this one!
Thank you so much! Hope you get a chance to make this!
Gnocchi has to be one of the greatest things on Earth, this is making me hungry for dinner already! Pinned this recipe!
Thanks so much, Jess!
This ragu looks gorgeous! I am going to give it a try soon, using spaghetti squash instead of gnocchi. You are an inspiration always and your photography skills are really good too! Keep up the good, creative work you do, and btw, love the “crazy” in ya 😉 lol
Thanks Melissa!! Hope you love this!!
You had me at buttered gnocchi. But oh.my.gosh. are these photos gorgeous! You have really outdone yourself! And now I want nothing more than a huge bowl of this all to myself 🙂
THANK YOU!
All I can say is YUM! I love gnocchi but I’ve never put it with a ragu before. Sounds delish! Love the white beans in here too!
Thanks so much, Tori!!
Yay, this is an excuse for me attempting homemade gnocchi! Do you have any suggestions for recipes? And that Ragu. That ragu. It looks amazing!
Thanks Danielle!!
I have a sweet potato gnocchi recipe, but here is a good plain gnocchi recipe too.
Just looks lovely. But in a quandary. Husband on a strict Coumadin diet now…and limited to max 70-80 mcg of Vit K a day. So Kale is OUT as are all leafy greens. and even dried herbs, esp Italian.. Sad isn’t it. BUT we need to participate to it 100%. 200 miles to the store , I will have to improvise a lot on this .We love gnocchi..perfect.. because it is winter no fresh herbs growing except Flat It Parsley. We may turn this into Greek, Mexican, who knows..when i am done with the seasonings. Thank you for all you share. Tried many..they are all winners.
BTW,,your Bourbon bacon and heirloom Tomato Sandwich from last Sept..is our #1 Sandwich to do. And I am the #1 Grandma now because I cook all my bacon this way. I cook 9-12 pounds at one time, freeze portions, warpped in parchment paper, and bag up. when i need bacon for any meal, take out and reheat in oven for just a bit. This is my secret stash and EVERYONE loves it. Yum. Thank you so much.
Haha! That is so awesome! Thanks Leslie!
Thanks Leslie!!
Hope you can adapt this to your needs!
Hmmm, I’m running out of excuses to hit up the Olive Garden. So I don’t even have to say how delicious and fab this dish looks. And I can safely promise NOT to skimp on the Parm cheese.
Ha! Thanks so much!
Tieghan , this wonderful sauce for gnocchi them !
Wandering through your blog , I noticed that you like basil ( the PESTO ) !
I strongly urge you to try the Lasagna with Pesto with green beans and potatoes , classic recipe Genovese ( Liguria ) , simple but very comfortable !
Oh that sounds INCREDIBLE!! Thinking I need to make that soon, it sounds so cozy!
Thanks Alessandra!
I love this dish.so warm it’s freezing here and this dish is calling me. I love a good crockpot meal. So I have to ask now that you’re in your own space who is eating all the food? Does the family come to you or do you bring it all back to the house?
Haha! Such a good question, right now I am bringing it to them since I live in a cloud of dust! LOL!
I use my slow cooker at least once a week. You can bet this is going #onthemenu soon. Pinned.
Awesome! Hope you love this!
Oh my looking at that steaming pot of wonderful —-I don’t know but I think I have to go with pasta because I love it although I do eat gnocchi.
You sound like you’re ready for the weekend–I know I am.
I am so ready for the weekend! 🙂
Thanks Nancy!