Soft, tender pillows of gnocchi enveloped in a full-flavoured cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, spinach, parmesan and fresh basil. All cooked in one pan!
THE ultimate comfort food! Even if you don’t particularly like creamy sauces, you will fall in love with this one pan gnocchi recipe. Quick and easy to make, ready on the table in less than 15 minutes, you will even impress yourself!
GNOCCHI RECIPE
You’ve loved our Tuscan flavours on shrimp, salmon and chicken. NOW it’s time to let gnocchi SHINE. Leave people wondering if there is a hidden chef in your kitchen with this for dinner. An easy to make and filling meal!
But Tuscan? I know, this is NOT a traditional recipe form Tuscany… BUT it is a popular recipe from Olive Garden.
HOW TO COOK ONE PAN GNOCCHI
You’re going to:
FRY your gnocchi in garlic butter first. Use uncooked dry gnocchi found with the dry package pastas in your supermarket. Fresh or homemade gnocchi will not work and may turn to mush in the sauce.
ADD the sun dried tomatoes and let them release flavours.
POUR in chicken broth, cream and herbs. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan — browned bits equal flavour!
MIX everything together, reduce heat to medium and cover pan with lid
COOK for 5 minutes. The starch released from the gnocchi thickens the sauce while cooking.
WILT the spinach leaves in the sauce. Stir through parmesan.
SIMMER until gnocchi is soft and the sauce has thickened.
Serve immediately.
*The sauce thickenes as it cools. If not serving immediately, add extra cream or chicken broth just before serving to thin it out a little*
WINE SELECTION
I choose a white wine to go with this. A light Chardonnay or Pinot Gris pairs really well. For a sweeter wine, choose a Riesling or a Sparkling Moscato.
SOME TIPS:
- Remember to use dry gnocchi and add it uncooked!
- Heavy cream, thickened cream or half and half work well in this recipe. is an American product, made from equal parts light cream and milk. Feel free to use half light cream and half 2% milk (or full fat if not worried about calories and fat counts), in place of half and half. Alternatively, use all light cream if you wish.
- I use sun dried tomato strips in oil. When draining them, reserve about 2 teaspoons of the jarred oil for added flavour when cooking.
MORE GNOCCHI RECIPES
Slow Cooker Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup
Creamy Buttery Tuscan Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, (or olive oil)
- 1 brown shallot, chopped (or 1 small onion)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound (500 g) uncooked potato gnocchi, (the dry packaged gnocchi -- not fresh)
- 1/2 cup jarred sun dried tomato strips in oil, (reserve 2 teaspoons of the jarred oil for cooking)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, (thickened cream or half andf half)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, (or parsley)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and sauté shallots until transparent, about 2 minutes. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the gnocchi and let sear in the butter for a minute. Add the sun dried tomatoes and reserved oil. Cook for a further minute to release flavours into the gnocchi.
- Pour in the chicken broth, cream and Italian herbs. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together and reduce heat to medium. Cover pan with lid and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach leaves and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Stir through parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Let simmer for a further minute or until gnocchi is soft, cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Season with a little extra salt & pepper, if needed, to suit your taste.
- Serve immediately.*
Kay says
Easy and SUPER tasty. I used frozen spinach and threw in some chilli flakes (also substituted the chicken broth with vegetable, to make it actually vegetarian), and it is so filling and delicious. This is definitely going to enter my regular dinner rotation!
Linda says
I cut down the liquid a bit and made it with homemade gnocchi. So tasty and decadent! A great dinner for a cold, rainy night.
Sue says
OMG this was SO good. Easy, inexpensive & I will make it again. I’d never had gnocchi before so didn’t know what to expect, especially from a package, but I needn’t have worried. I agree with Vic’s accompaniments of garlic bread & red wine. This is a meal you could serve to someone you want to impress! Thank you for another winner, Karina!
Michelle says
This was excellent. Followed the directions and doubled everything with my big family. It came out great and everyone loved it.
Katie says
Found this on Instagram. SO GOOD and so easy. I’m making it again this week
Andrea Cover says
OMG what a sensational comfort dish. Love it!
Theresa german says
This is an excellent dish. My family really enjoyed it tonight. I’m looking forward to making two other dishes that you have published. Thank you
Moe says
So easy and so fabulous! Definitely a recipe to impress somebody.
Carl says
Easy to make and very delicious. Proof – serves 4 but 2 of us finished it off!
vic rauter says
Great..tasty…and quick
Served with garlic toast…red wine..and it was the perfect special dinner
And it was very simple to make..
It really was a delite
Camilla says
Brilliant! So creamy and flavors on point. I was hesitant to cook the gnocchi in the sauce but it works so beautifully. I used fresh gnocchi and just kept my eye on things and it still came out incredible! Thank you Karina! You’re the BEST