Comfort food, but make it fancy-ish. This Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi Bake is everything I love in one skillet, pillowy gnocchi, a garlicky cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes (because we’re a little extra), and loads of melty cheese. It’s cozy, rich, and surprisingly easy to throw together on a weeknight. No boiling, no fuss. Just one skillet, one oven, and a lot of happy sighs.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-skillet magic – Less cleanup, more time to eat.
- Restaurant vibes at home – Fancy enough for guests, easy enough for a Tuesday.
- Flavor bomb – Creamy Tuscan gnocchi bake in a cast iron skillet with melted cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and rich garlic sauce.
- No need to pre-boil gnocchi – It cooks right in the sauce. Life-changing.
Ingredients That Matter
- Gnocchi – Shelf-stable, fresh, or refrigerated all work here. No boiling required.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – Go for the oil-packed ones for max flavor. Drain ’em, chop ’em.
- Spinach – Adds a little green to balance the richness (and trick us into calling this “balanced”).
- Heavy Cream + Chicken Broth – Creamy base with just enough lightness to keep it from feeling too heavy. I always opt for low sodium chicken broth.
- Mozzarella + Parmesan – Melty, gooey, and salty. Don’t skip the Parm, it’s the punch this sauce needs.
How To Make Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi Bake
Step 1: Sauté the garlic + sun-dried tomatoes
Grab your oven-safe skillet and heat up some olive oil. Toss in the garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Let them get cozy and fragrant, about a minute or two.
Step 2: Wilt the spinach
Add your baby spinach and stir until it’s just wilted. It’ll look like too much at first, and then, poof, gone. Classic spinach move.
Step 3: Pour in the sauce
Stir in the heavy cream, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for a couple of minutes so it thickens just a bit and the flavors start to mingle.
Step 4: Add the gnocchi + cheese
Now toss in your gnocchi (straight from the package, no boiling needed). Stir it around, let it hang out in the sauce for a few minutes to soften up. Mix in half the mozzarella and all the Parmesan.
Step 5: Bake it till bubbly
Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top and slide the whole skillet into a 375°F (190°C) oven. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden, bubbly, and impossible to resist. Let it cool for a few minutes (if you can wait). Top with fresh basil or parsley and maybe a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you like it spicy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just make sure to thaw it first so it doesn’t water down the sauce. Fresh or shelf-stable gnocchi works great too.
Definitely, this dish loves company. Try tossing in cooked chicken, crumbled Italian sausage, or even shrimp for a heartier meal.
Go for the oil-packed kind. They’re more flavorful and blend beautifully into the sauce. Just drain and chop them before using.
Yes! Assemble everything up to the baking step, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temp for 15–20 minutes before baking.
Pop any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warm and bubbly again.
It freezes okay, but the cream sauce may separate slightly when reheated. For best results, eat fresh or within a couple of days.
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Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound potato gnocchi shelf-stable or fresh
- 1 cup mozzarella shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- red pepper flakes for a little kick, optional
- fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Heat olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted. Pour in the cream, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in gnocchi and cook for 2–3 minutes, just until slightly softened. Stir in half the mozzarella and all the Parmesan.
- Top with remaining mozzarella and bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you like a bit of heat.
Notes
- Gnocchi – Use shelf-stable, fresh, or refrigerated gnocchi, whatever you’ve got. No need to boil first (we love that for us). It cooks right in the sauce, soaking up all that creamy goodness.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – Oil-packed is the way to go. Drain them first and give them a good chop. They bring sweet, tangy flavor that totally makes the dish. Jarred flavor bombs.
- Spinach – Baby spinach wilts down beautifully and adds a pop of green that lets us pretend this is balanced. You could use frozen, but thaw it first and squeeze out the water like it insulted your pasta.
- Cheese – Mozzarella for melt, Parmesan for flavor. Don’t skip the Parm, she’s the one bringing depth. Pre-shredded is fine, freshly grated is even better (but we’re not judging either way).
- Add-ins – Feel like making it meatier? Stir in some cooked chicken, Italian sausage, or even crispy bacon. This dish is not here to judge your choices, only to support them.
- Leftovers – Keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until hot and bubbly again. That sauce might thicken a bit, but it’s still delish.
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