Cast-Iron Crispy Gnocchi with Smoked Sausage and Spinach
Brown sliced smoked sausage in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over a medium-high camp stove or grate over coals, then set it aside. Crisp the gnocchi in oil, steam it with a splash of water under a lid, and toss in the sausage and spinach to wilt. Prep takes 5 minutes and cooking takes about 18.
Three ingredients, one skillet, and a lunch that tastes like you planned it. Shelf-stable gnocchi goes straight into hot oil. It steams soft inside and crisps golden outside.
The sausage is already cooked, so you are just browning and reheating it. The spinach wilts in the leftover heat and soaks up the browned bits. Good for a rest-day lunch or a quick stop between trailheads.
Cast-Iron Crispy Gnocchi with Smoked Sausage and Spinach
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium-high flame or hot coals under a grate
- Pack weight
- 2.5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- lid or heavy-duty foil
- camp stove or fire grate
- metal spatula
- cutting board and knife
- heat-proof gloves
Steps
-
Slice the sausage
Cut the sausage into 1/2-inch coins on a clean cutting board. Keep the spinach and sausage in the cooler until you are ready to cook.
-
Brown the sausage
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage 4 to 5 minutes, flipping once, until browned and steaming hot. Move it to a plate.
-
Sear the gnocchi
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then spread the gnocchi in a single layer. Leave it alone for 3 minutes so the bottoms start to brown.
-
Steam it soft
Pour in the water and cover right away with a lid or a tight sheet of foil. Steam 2 minutes. Lift the lid away from your face, because the steam is hot.
-
Crisp it up
Uncover and let the water cook off. Toss every minute or so for 4 to 5 minutes, until the gnocchi are golden and crisp on the edges.
-
Wilt the spinach
Add the sausage and spinach to the skillet. Toss 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach collapses and the sausage is hot throughout.
-
Season and serve
Add salt and pepper to taste. Eat straight from the skillet or plate it up while it is hot and crisp.
Trail Notes
Slice the sausage at home and bag it flat on ice. Keep the spinach in its original container so it does not crush.
Swap the chicken sausage for a shelf-stable dry-cured smoked sausage. It keeps without ice and browns the same way.
Keep the sausage at 40°F or below until cooking. Reheat it until it is steaming hot, and bring leftovers back to 165°F before eating them.
Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and pack out the scraps. Strain dishwater, pack out the food bits, and scatter the water at least 200 feet from streams, lakes and camp.
Campers ask
Do I have to boil gnocchi before pan-frying it?
Not with shelf-stable gnocchi. It is already cooked, so a short steam with a splash of water softens it before it crisps.
How do I keep gnocchi from sticking to cast iron?
Use enough hot oil, and don't move the gnocchi for the first 3 minutes. It releases on its own once the bottoms brown.
Can I cook this over a campfire?
Yes. Set the skillet on a grate over medium coals, not open flame, and rotate it if one side runs hotter. The times stay about the same.
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