Instant Pot Sausage Gnocchi is a simple and quick meal to make in the pressure cooker that is super filling. A tomato-based soup flavored with saffron and spices with store bought gnocchi then finished with spinach!

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bowl of soup offset to the left with fresh herbs to the righ

Instant Pot Sausage Gnocchi Soup is hearty tomato-based comforting bowl of goodness! Quick and simple to put together you'll love this twist on a traditional Sardinian Sausage Ragu. Serve this with some Air Fryer Texas Toast or French bread for a quick side dish.

overhead view of sausage gnocchi oup in white bowl on concrete background with wedge of Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs to the lef

What is a Sardinian-style ragu?

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea just behind Sicily. It is west of the Italian peninsula, and is one of it's 20 defined regions. The island is a great tourist destination known for its clear and pristine beaches. It even holds a place in Greek and Roman mythology as the place the gods told Hercules to start a colony at after he had completed his labors.

The island is also known for Malloreddus alla Campidanese. This is a dumpling like pasta served with a rich ragu of tomatoes, sausage, and saffron. Saffron is a unique ingredient to the dish as this spice was brought by the Phoenicians from the Middle East to Italy. If you would like to learn more check out this great BBC article.

Prepping the gnocchi soup

You can use either sweet or hot Italian sausage for this recipe. If your sausage is in casings, you will need to remove them. Remove them by putting the tip of a knife under the casing and gently cutting it moving upwards then peel off. Get the rest of your ingredients ready.

overhead shot of ingredients needed for soup

Set the Instant Pot to saute when heated add a little olive oil and add in the sausage. Using a spoon or spatula break up the sausage as it cooks into pieces. Cook the sausage until it is no longer pink.

overhead view of cooking chunked Italian sausage in the Instant Pot on saute with wooden spatula

Add in the minced garlic, saffron (optional), pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, and hot red pepper flakes. Pour in the wine, note this optional. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.

overhead view of cooked Italian sausage in Instant Pot with minced garlic, saffron, and spices

Pour in the water and stir. Turn off the saute function, and layer in the gnocchi.

overhead view of sausage layered with gnocchi on top in the Instant Pot

Next add a can of San Marzano tomatoes, and crush the tomatoes with your hand as you add them on top of the gnocchi. Resist the urge, and DO NOT STIR.

You can also use crushed San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them. I'm usually not lucky enough to find them in the store! 😉 LOL

overhead view of tomatoes on top of a bed of Italian sausage and gnocchi in the Instant Pot

Cooking and finishing the sausage soup

Seal the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure (normal) for three minutes then follow with a quick release. If anything starts to drip from the Instant Pot just be sure to release in short bursts. Once open stir everything together.

overhead view of sausage gnocchi stew in pressure cooker with spoon

Next add in a bag of baby spinach, and turn the Instant Pot on to saute.

overhead view of stew in Instant Pot topped with raw baby spinach

Stir the spinach until wilted then turn off the saute function.

overhead view of finished sausage gnocchi in the Instant Pot with spoon

Serve immediately topped with Parmesan cheese or store up to one week in an airtight container. Note because potato gnocchi was used this may cause the soup to thicken once cooled. If desired, this may be thinned with water or chicken broth when reheating leftovers.

How to make it

I paired this soup with my Crusty Instant Pot French Bread! If you enjoyed this recipe you would love Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Stew, or Instant Pot French Onion Soup.

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