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Get ready to fall in love with Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi—your new favorite pasta dish! Tender gnocchi pillows in a rich cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, spinach, Parmesan, and fresh basil, all cooked in one pan for minimal cleanup.
Even if creamy sauces aren’t your thing, this one-pan gnocchi will win you over. Quick and easy, it’s ready in less than 15 minutes. Pair it with our Garlic Green Beans with Parmesan for a complete meal. You’ve enjoyed the flavors in our Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp and Creamy Tuscan Chicken—now it’s time to shine a light on our silky, smooth Tuscan Gnocchi.
What Sets These Tuscan Gnocchi Recipe Apart?
Indulge in the flavors of my Tuscan Gnocchi Recipe, a dish that’s both comforting and sophisticated. Tender gnocchi pillows in a rich, creamy sauce with garlic, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and spinach.
So good, your guests will think you’ve hidden a pro chef in your kitchen! Inspired by Olive Garden, this one-pan Gnocchi Recipe brings restaurant-quality to your dinner table. It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you want a delicious meal without the hassle. While it’s not a traditional Tuscan dish, it’s a delightful Italian-inspired interpretation. Check out our Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese for more inspired flavors.
Tuscan Gnocchi Recipe: Key Ingredients
The secret to this dish is in its key ingredients. Each one plays a crucial role in creating a luxurious, flavorful sauce and tender gnocchi. Let’s dive into what makes this Tuscan Gnocchi recipe truly exceptional:
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Opt for sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, as they are more tender and flavorful compared to their dry counterparts. The oil itself can be used to enhance the dish, adding an extra layer of rich, tangy flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Choose high-quality heavy cream for a richer, creamier sauce. Avoid low-fat substitutes, as they can compromise the sauce’s luxurious texture and may cause it to break when heated.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan is key! Pre-grated varieties often contain anti-caking agents that can affect the melting quality. A good wedge of Parmesan will deliver that nutty, salty depth we love.
- Fresh Baby Spinach: Look for vibrant green leaves without any signs of wilting. Fresh spinach not only adds color and nutrients but also a delicate flavor that perfectly balances the richness of the sauce.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are essential for this recipe. Minced garlic from a jar won’t give the same robust, aromatic flavor. Aim for firm, plump cloves for the best result.
*Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi, versatility is everything. Even if you’re missing a few ingredients, no need to stress—there are plenty of tasty alternatives that will keep the flavors just as luxurious and satisfying:
- Spicy Italian Sausage: To bump up the protein content of this dish, try adding some spicy Italian sausage. It’s best to use loose sausage, but if you have links, just remove the casing. This addition will bring a nice, savory kick.
- Extra Veggies: For a heartier meal, bulk up the dish with extra veggies. Bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, zucchini, and kale are all great options. These vegetables will add flavor, color, and nutrition.
- Heat: If you love a bit of heat, sprinkle in some smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, or cayenne. These spices will add a warm, smoky flavor that complements the creamy sauce perfectly.
Perfect Tuscan Gnocchi Recipe: Step-By-Step
Ready to make a scrumptious Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi? Follow these easy steps with images to guide you through the process. You’ll create a rich, creamy gnocchi dish with the delightful flavors of garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach that’s sure to wow your taste buds and impress your guests:
- Heat Oil: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and sauté the shallots until they become transparent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add Gnocchi and Sear: 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.
- Simmer Cream: Reduce heat to low, add half and half (or heavy cream), and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add Spinach and Parmesan: Add spinach leaves and allow to wilt. Stir in Parmesan cheese and simmer until melted.
- 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. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve Immediately
Pair this hearty Tuscan Gnocchi with a simple veggie side like Grilled Asparagus or Grilled Asparagus. I love serving it with some Bloomin Onion Garlic Bread or my favorite Cheesy Garlic Bread to mop up all that delicious sauce. If you’re looking for a low-carb side dish to go with the gnocchi, try my easy Cauliflower Fried Rice.
Recipe FAQ’s
To make this dish dairy-free, use olive oil instead of butter and swap the cream for coconut cream. Toss the Parmesan cheese and top the gnocchi with nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavor.
I wouldn’t recommend using fresh gnocchi. Dry gnocchi cooks wonderfully in the sauce and soaks up all those delicious flavors. If you still want to use fresh gnocchi, add it in towards the end and don’t let it cook for too long.
You can substitute heavy cream with half and half or a mixture of milk and cream. The sauce may be slightly less rich, but it will still be delicious.
Other Pasta Dishes To Try
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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 uncooked potato gnocchi the dry packaged gnocchi – not fresh
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomato strips in oil jarred, 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
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil or parsley
- 2 Tablespoons oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar
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.*
Notes
- Add uncooked dry gnocchi as it cooks right in the sauce! The starch released from the gnocchi thickens the sauce perfectly while cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is such a wonderful delicious recipe! I love that it’s one pot. So much faster and easier than cooking gnocchi separately. My friends always request this for dinner parties. I usually change up the recipe by using pancetta instead of sun dried tomatoes and spinach, although those main ingredients sound great! Omit the salt if you use pancetta!
I make this recipe often, the problem I usually have is in the 5 min cook stage, or reheating leftovers in the microwave, the cream sauce can break, causing it to be very greasy. To avoid this, juice a lemon, neutralize the acid with baking soda until it stops fizzing, and mix this neutralized lemon juice to the cream before adding it to the sauce. This acts as an emulsifier (sodium citrate) that prevents the cream sauce from breaking.
Extremely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and let me tell you, I did NOT want to share. Will be a regular for dinner. Thank you! Try this, you won’t be disappointed
Absolutely delicious. So quick and easy. I typically tweak all my recipes but I didn’t need to change anything. The whole family loved it.
Loved it, I would modify it some our tastes. Would add a little more broth and a little less cream. Also I would use a little less sun dried tomatoes but this is nit picky. Over all a great dish and very rich.
I love making this dish. I usually add sliced sausage or shredded rotisserie chicken to make it more of a hearty one dish meal.
Very good recipe, thanks! My entire family enjoyed it, even the pickiest eater. I was short on time so added less cream and used a bit of bouillon for flavor instead of broth that would add more liquid and need to be reduced. We plan to make this again, quite rich so best to serve with a steamed vegetable or something else simple.
This was amazing next time I will add some prosciutto for added flavor. Thanks for another great recipe to add to my nightly rotation.
Made some basic basic changes, added chicken strips I sautéed earlier. Complete meal!
Absolutely wonderful! Followed the recipe to the letter , except cooked fresh gnocci and added to the sauce in the last 5 minutes of it cooking..delicious..thank you!!