Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup

0 Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it into smaller pieces as it browns, until cooked through. If the sausage is particularly lean, add a tablespoon of olive oil or butter as needed. Once cooked through, remove the sausage and set it aside in a bowl.
1 Add the diced onion, chopped carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
2 Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and tomato paste, if using. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the sausage back in.
3 Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer.
4 Add the gnocchi and simmer according to the package directions, usually about 2–4 minutes, until tender.
5 Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Heat gently without bringing the soup to a hard boil.
6 Stir in the spinach and Parmesan. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and the Parmesan has melted into the broth.
7 Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
8 Ladle into bowls and serve warm with additional Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired.