This one pot gnocchi bake with rich tomato sauce and topped with melty mozzarella cheese is a comforting vegetarian dinner. It's perfect for a weeknight family dinner!
Super simple dinners are where it's at on a weeknight 🤩
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One pot dinners are my jammmm. I am somewhat obsessed with the whole concept because I hate tidying up and cleaning, especially after being at work all day, so only using one pot means I can spend more time in front of Netflix with Will and Bernie instead of cleaning up the kitchen.
They also tend to be pretty easy to make, whether it's a one pot fish stew or a one pot pasta bake, they are perfect for people who want easy weeknight dinners fast.
Of all the one pot recipes I've tried I think pasta and gnocchi lends itself the best to this method. One of my all time favourites is my one pot lasagne which bakes into a rich, comforting dish in no time at all but now this gnocchi is vying for first place on that list.
So to make this one pot gnocchi bake I started off by making a simple but flavourful tomato sauce. I had planned to add milk to the sauce but when it came to making this baked gnocchi recipe we only had almond milk so I used that instead and it worked really well.
I mentioned before we've been trying out different plant based milks recently. I'd been able to make really good hot drinks with them including oat milk in tea, cashew milk hot chocolate and almond milk lattes but I hadn't tried them in cooking before this sauce and I was really pleased with the results.
Other than the milk I added red wine and plenty of herbs to the sauce to really round out the flavour then I stirred through the gnocchi and topped the whole thing with mozzarella and a handful of grated cheddar before baking for 15 minutes.
One Pot Gnocchi Bake Ingredients:
- Olive Oil, Onion and Garlic: The beginnings of all great Italian recipes, the onion and garlic is fried gently in the oil until super soft and fragrant
- Chopped Tomatoes: Use whatever your favourite tinned brand is
- Milk: I used almond milk but cows milk will also work fine or whatever type you have on hand
- Red Wine: I use whatever red wine I have in the cupboard but if you prefer then feel free to add stock instead. Use up extra red wine in this rich vegetable stew
- Herbs: A bay leaf and dried oregano are added to the sauce to get that extra Italian flavour. Use up extra in this aubergine parmigiana
- Gnocchi: I always use store bought gnocchi, especially on weeknights when I need quick and easy
- Cheese: The whole dish is topped with slices of mozzarella and some grated cheddar before baking to get it super cheesy and delicious
Keep scrolling to the bottom of this post to get the full recipe!
One Pot Gnocchi Bake Instructions:
- Start the sauce: Heat the oven. Fry the onions gently in olive oil then add the garlic and cook for a little longer.
- Add liquids and seasonings: Pour in the tomatoes, milk and red wine then add the bay leaf and oregano and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Bake: Add the gnocchi to the sauce, top with the mozzarella and cheddar and bake
Can you freeze gnocchi bake?
Short answer is yes you can freeze this gnocchi bake. Long answer is that, although it's fine to freeze this recipe, it will change the texture of the dish. As the gnocchi is already cooked it's quite likely to become a little mushy once you reheat it. Personally, I'm fine with that and all the flavours are still delicious after freezing but if you aren't a fan or mushiness then I would avoid freezing.
What to serve with gnocchi bake?
I normally serve this as a meal in itself but if you'd like a little more then I'd go with a big green salad or, if you're feeling extra carby, some garlic bread.
Recipe Variations
Add protein: Stir through some cooked chicken or bacon before topping with cheese.
Make it creamy: Add a drizzle of double cream to the sauce before adding the cheese to get a creamy tomato sauce.
Add veggies: There are so many vegetables that would work really well in this dish, try stirring fresh spinach through the sauce or adding some broccoli florets or kale before baking.
Want more? Try these other gnocchi recipes!
- Tomato Basil Gnocchi Soup
- Cheese and Tomato Baked Gnocchi
- One Pan Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms & Blue Cheese Sauce
- Cheesy Baked Gnocchi with Kale & Brussels Sprouts
- Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Summer Gnocchi Skillet
- Truffle Mac and Cheese with Gnocchi
- Salmon Gnocchi Bake with Spinach
- Butternut Squash Gnocchi
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Recipe
One Pot Gnocchi Bake with Tomato & Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion chopped
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 400g tins Chopped Tomatoes
- 200 ml Milk
- 200 ml Red Wine
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 500 g Gnocchi
- 150 g Mozzarella sliced
- 50 g Cheddar grated
- Basil Leaves to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 210°C/410°F. Heat the oil in large skillet or pot over a medium low heat, add the onions and fry for a couple of minutes. Season well. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
- Pour in the tomatoes, wine and milk followed by the bay leaf and oregano, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the gnocchi and stir through. Remove from the heat, top with the mozzarella and cheddar, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve topped with basil.
Notes
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Barrie says
Made this tonight and it was absolutely wonderful and so filling.
Kayleigh says
This sounds great! I want to try it for my lunches but I feel like it needs some sort of salad with it, can you recommend any?
Sharon says
This baked gnocchi looks so good! The perfect easy comfort food full of sauce and cheese. Delicious!
Kate Hackworthy says
Oooh this oozy cheese gnocchi bake looks absolutely delicious!
Suzy says
I so agree...comfort food at its finest! Saving to try!
Beth Neels says
That is comfort food at it's finest! I especially love the one pot aspect! I would rather be sitting it front of Netflix too.
Liz says
I love gnocchi! It's so filling and this one-pot meal is perfect because I don't have a ton of dishes to wash afterward! Thank you!
Adrianne says
Wow! This looks delicious and comforting all at once. I love it. The idea of it being in one pot saves so much time and effort. It is my kindof meal. Thanks for sharing!