It’s pretty unfair that at most meals, you have to choose between two equally delicious carbs: pasta and potatoes. That is exactly why I’m devoted to gnocchi, the miracle food that manages to combine both into soft little pillows of heaven. Plus, if you start with store-bought gnocchi (which I wholeheartedly endorse), they’re the ideal foundation for an easy weeknight meal or family-friendly dinner. Here are 35 of my favorite easy gnocchi recipes, like baked gnocchi with sausage and kale and gnocchi mac and cheese.
35 Easy Gnocchi Recipes You Can Make at Home
Store-bought or homemade, they're all delicious
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Published May 21, 2024
How Sweet Eats/Liz Andrew/Pinch of Yum
1. Sheet Pan Tomato Basil Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <30 minutes, vegetarian
Here, the tomatoes burst and make their own sauce, and since the oven concentrates their jammy flavor, you could even use off-season produce. To streamline the meal, make the pesto and grate the cheese in advance (and store everything in the fridge until dinnertime).
2. Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers and Onions
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients
This gnocchi recipe is both a play on one of my favorite Italian-American flavor combos (sausage with peppers and onions), as well as an excuse to not do the dishes. I prefer to use fresh gnocchi from the refrigerated section, but the shelf-stable kind will work too.
3. Skillet Gnocchi Bake with Sausage and Kale
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Ten ingredients, one skillet, three steps and you’re on your way to an impossibly cozy gnocchi meal. I’d be remiss not to mention that you don’t even need to boil the pasta to cook it. Swap the kale for another green if you prefer, and leave the sausage out if you’re vegetarian.
4. Baked Vodka Sauce Gnocchi with Burrata
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Talk about decadent and dreamy. The creamy tomato sauce coats each tender, potato-y pillow under a blanket of gooey cheese. This one is rich, so feel free to serve it as a side dish or alongside a crisp, green salad to balance the meal.
5. Gnocchi with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan
Creamy mushroom sauce? That sounds fancy, but it’s surprisingly quick to assemble. You’ll brown the mushrooms with butter, herbs and garlic, then add a touch of cream to create a silky coating for the gnocchi. Add pasta and Parm and you’re pretty much done.
6. Summer Skillet Gnocchi with Grilled Corn and Burrata
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, <10 ingredients
I had always thought of gnocchi as a hearty cold-weather dish. But this skillet, loaded with fresh corn and tomatoes, proves it can be alfresco-ready, too. (It’s also drop-dead gorgeous, just saying.)
7. Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, one pan
“Done in 30 minutes” is music to my weary Monday night ears—I hope yours, too. FYI, feel free to swap in any green vegetable here. Brussels sprouts or chopped asparagus, perhaps?
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
Listen, I never said gnocchi was diet food, but I promise, this ooey-gooey cheese situation is soooo worth the indulgence. Plus, it requires less than ten ingredients to come together. (Easier than boxed, dare I say.)
9. Cauliflower Gnocchi Pomodoro
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser
Behold, proof that gnocchi doesn’t have to be a massive carb overload. This gluten-free version subs in cauliflower for some of the starch, making it a lighter (but no less delicious) version of your favorite comfort food.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pot
News flash: Chicken noodle soup is out, chicken gnocchi soup is in. To make your life easier, you can totally use shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken.
11. Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Herbed White Wine Sauce
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
This is definitely dinner-party fancy, but it’s deceptively easy to put together. Once shaped, you can keep the homemade gnocchi in the fridge overnight if you want to make this meal ahead of time.
12. Carrot Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: low sugar, <500 calories
Another great lower-carb alternative—this gnocchi meal swaps potatoes for carrots, which gives the dish a light sweetness (and a great color, too).
13. Buckwheat Gnocchi with Cabbage, Potatoes and Fontina
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
On the other hand, sometimes copious amounts of cheese are exactly what the doctor ordered. (Yes, there are double potatoes in this meal, which is inspired by a traditional northern Italian buckwheat pasta dish.)
14. Ricotta Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, vegetarian
Making gnocchi from scratch sounds super intimidating. But with nine ingredients including salt, I promise this recipe couldn’t be simpler (plus, the ricotta makes the gnocchi extra fluffy). Prepare to impress your entire table.
15. Baked Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Kale
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly
All those veggies need a little melted mozzarella to balance everything out, am I right? The secret to zhuzhing up a can of tomato sauce is to add a touch of red wine and balsamic vinegar.
16. Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
This gnocchi meal (which is a copycat of one from everyone’s fave Italian chain) is like a big, warm hug in a bowl. And best of all, most of the cooking time is hands-off simmering.
17. Chicken Parmesan Gnocchi Bake
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
Behold, a mash-up of all of my of favorite things (that I have a feeling you’ll love, too). If you want to make this vegetarian, simply omit the chicken. You can also add vegetables, like mushrooms, broccoli, spinach or zucchini.
18. Baked Gnocchi With Broccoli
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly
It’s cheesy, gooey and bubbly, not to mention ready in less than an hour and 1,000 percent kid-friendly. If you’re not big on broccoli, try cauliflower, peas or green beans instead.
19. Cacio e Pepe Cauliflower Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <15 minutes
This gnocchi recipe has a secret: It starts with everyone’s favorite cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. Beyond that, you’ll only need four ingredients to finish the dish: salt, pepper, butter and Parm.
20. Gnocchi with Peas and Asparagus
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian
Springtime produce (think mint, peas, asparagus and garlic) never tasted so delicious. Take this as an example of how gnocchi can serve as a blank slate for any seasonal vegetable.
21. Caprese Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why I Love It:
This gnocchi recipe calls for making your own pasta from scratch, which is rewarding and tasty but not necessarily weeknight-friendly. If you use store-bought gnocchi, it’s only six ingredients—and one of them is burrata.
22. Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Roasted Vegetables
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, vegetarian
It’s all cooked on one pan, so you can spend more time eating and less time doing dishes. The concept is simple, but with lots of fresh herbs, some garlic and a sprinkle of cheese, it’s surprisingly flavorful.
23. One-Pot Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
This has “cozy dinner eaten from the couch” written all over it. You can use sweet or spicy Italian sausage, depending on your preference.
24. Truffle Ricotta Gnocchi with Bacon, Calabrian Chili and Chive
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy
Well, look who’s fancy all of a sudden! (It’s you, if you make this gnocchi recipe.) Making the pasta from scratch is necessary if you want to infuse each pillow with truffle flavor, but I think you could just as successfully swap in store-bought and add the truffle to the sauce.
25. Shrimp and Gnocchi with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, <30 minutes
I would eat just about anything if it were covered in this sauce. (Tip: Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the extra.)
26. Mushroom Gnocchi with Arugula and Walnut Pesto
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
With mushrooms and Parmesan, this gnocchi dish is bursting with umami flavor. (As an added benefit, it’s ready in 30 minutes—low effort, high reward.)
27. Butternut Squash, Sausage and Kale Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, one pan
It’s not just the butternut squash and kale; it’s also the dried cranberries, rosemary and Parmesan cheese. Basically, this gnocchi recipe has everything I love about fall cooking in one dish.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, high protein
Step one: Head to the farmers market and stock up on seasonal veggies. Step two: Eat. (OK, there’s an extra step of making the pasta here, but you can also use store-bought if you’re in a hurry.)
29. Baked Gnocchi Casserole in a Creamy Tomato Sauce
- Time Commitment: 42 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
I’ll always love a classic baked ziti, but I think this quick version with pillowy gnocchi is sure to steal your heart. Dressing up store-bought marinara with a touch of heavy cream is a trick I’ll be using for other baked pasta recipes, too.
30. Sausage and Tomato Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients
This classic sausage ragù would make any Italian grandma proud. The recipe calls for rolling sausage into tiny meatballs, but you could also just as easily crumble it into a pan before browning it.
31. Italian Sausage, Gnocchi and Tomato Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pot, crowd-pleaser
Hearty, comforting and ready in under 30 minutes. Hello, new weeknight favorite. You can easily modify this soup by subbing in whatever vegetables you have in your fridge in place of the bell peppers, celery and carrots.
32. Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken Gnocchi
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, sheet pan recipe
This genius recipe combines two of my weeknight dinner prep secret tricks: store-bought pasta and my trusty sheet pan. Throw everything together, and dinner’s on the table in no time.
33. 20-Minute Pesto Shrimp with Gnocchi and Asparagus
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
It doesn’t get any faster or easier than this gnocchi meal. And with only a handful of ingredients (like shrimp and store-bought pesto), you can easily make it on a weeknight.
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser
Honestly, I didn’t know it was possible for French onion soup to get more cozy. This recipe calls for beef broth and red wine, but I’ll let you in on a secret: When I make French onion, I use chicken broth and Calvados (a type of apple brandy) to let the onion flavor shine.
35. Gnocchi and Winter Vegetables with Sage Cream Sauce
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian
Feel free to use whatever winter veggies you have on hand, such as squash, Brussels sprouts and kale. (Just don’t skimp on the super-savory sage cream sauce when you dish it up.)
