Baked Gnocchi with Sausage, Kale and Pesto

Image and recipe from two peas and their pod

Ingredients:

1 lb package potato gnocchi

1 roll of hot breakfast sausage

4 cups chopped packed kale

2 Tbls butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbls flour
1/4 cup pesto

1 cup milk (not provided)
2 cups Italian cheese blend
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions.

2. 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 kale for 5 minutes, or until tender. Pour sausage back in the skillet. 

3. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in garlic and cook until 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 pepper to taste.

4. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Combine the gnocchi, sausage and kale. Pour into prepared pan. Pour the sauce evenly over gnocchi. Sprinkle with remaining 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.