Brown the Italian Sausage: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground Italian sausage and diced yellow onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking the meat into bite-sized crumbles with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through. Drain excess grease if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon for flavor.

Add Aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to the skillet. Sauté for 60 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

Simmer Gnocchi in Broth: Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring and scraping up any flavorful browned fond from the bottom of the pan. Add the uncooked potato gnocchi directly into the liquid in a single layer. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until gnocchi are tender and pillowy.

Stir in Parmesan & Wilt Spinach: Remove lid and reduce heat to low. Stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese until melted and velvety smooth. Add fresh baby spinach in handfuls, gently folding until wilted into the rich cream sauce (about 1 to 2 minutes).

Garnish & Serve Hot: Remove from heat. Season with cracked black pepper and garnish with chopped parsley and fresh basil. Serve immediately straight from the warm skillet!