Brown the meat: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sausage and cook until well browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Use paper towels to soak up some of the excess grease.
1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 lb. Italian sausage, 1 lb. ground beef, Salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Add flavor boosters: Add tomato paste and fennel seed, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring it into the meat. Start Timer
1-2 Tbsp. tomato paste, 1/2 tsp. fennel seed
Add the seasoning: Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Build the sauce: Pour in marinara sauce and water/broth, scraping up any browned bits. (I like to add the broth to the marinara jar and shake it to get all the sauce out of the jar.)
1 (32oz) jar marinara sauce, 1/2 cup beef broth
Cook the gnocchi: Stir gnocchi directly into the sauce, breaking up any gnocchi pieces that may have stuck together. Cook for ~5 minutes or until gnocchi become a bit tender. Start Timer
1 (16oz) package shelf-stable gnocchi
Make ricotta mixture: Mix the ricotta with the egg and parsley in a bowl.
1½ cup whole milk ricotta, 1 tsp. dried parsley, 1 egg
Add the “lasagna layers”: Dollop ricotta evenly over the skillet and try to spread it into a layer. It will get mixed into the red sauce a bit; that’s OK. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan on top.
~1 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Bake: Bake, uncovered, for ~15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and broil for 2-3 minutes at the end or until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden on top. Start Timer
Serve: Allow to cool just for a few minutes. Finish with fresh basil, extra parmesan, and plenty of black pepper and enjoyyyy!
Fresh basil or parsley