Baked Gnocchi with Italian Sausage and Pesto

1 lb hot Italian sausage

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 large cloves (3 if they are smaller) of garlic, minced

2 cups cherry tomatos, halved

2 cups baby spinach

8 oz Mozzarella cheese (1 hand-wrapped ball)

1 cup + 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/3 cup Mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup pesto

1 lb Gnocchi

2 tbsp freshly sliced basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and cook Italian sausage until cooked through. Crumble into small pieces while cooking. While this is cooking, prepare the Mozzarella cheese — cut the ball in half. Slice one of the halves into 6 thin pieces. Use a cheese grater to grate the other half. Set aside. Once the sausage is finished, transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Add the diced onion, garlic, and a large pinch of salt and pepper to the pan. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and fragrant. Add in the halved cherry tomatoes, spinach, and a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Cook another 5 minutes, until the spinach is just beginning to wilt. Reduce the heat to low and stir in pesto, Mascarpone, grated Mozzarella, and 1 cup of the grated Parmesan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Once the cheese is melted and combined, stir in the gnocchi and cooked Italian sausage. Add the gnocchi mixture into a baking dish. Top with the remaining slices of Mozzarella and the remaining 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil.