Gnocchi Alfredo Bake
Plump gnocchi are baked in an easy Alfredo sauce that’s loaded with Parmesan cheese.
Serves6 to 8
Prep10 minutes
Cook20 minutes to 25 minutes
Fettuccine Alfredo is a favorite in our household (especially for my daughter) when we want an easy, comforting meal. We love the creamy, cheesy sauce and how it coats every strand of pasta. But Alfredo sauce doesn’t have to be relegated to regular pasta.
I like to make a similar Parmesan cheese sauce, toss it with pillowy store-bought potato gnocchi, and bake it all together in a cast iron skillet until browned and bubbling. To make this too, you only need six ingredients (most of which you might have on hand) and 30 minutes total before you’re sitting down to a delicious dinner.
Key Ingredients in Gnocchi Alfredo Bake
One of the best parts about this bake is that the ingredients are all easy to find at a grocery store and most of them are pantry staples.
- Gnocchi: Fresh, frozen, or shelf-stable gnocchi will all work here — just follow package directions when cooking.
- Parmesan cheese: You can use store-bought grated Parmesan, or grate it yourself. I like to use the smaller holes on the box grater to make thin shreds.
- Butter: Unsalted butter makes up the base of the white sauce.
- Flour: A little all-purpose flour helps thicken the sauce. It will thicken even more when mixed with the gnocchi, which lets out some of its starch.
- Milk: Instead of heavy cream, milk works just fine for the sauce.
How to Make Gnocchi Alfredo Bake
- Cook the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi according to package directions until tender.
- Make the white sauce in a skillet. Cook garlic in melted butter, and add flour and cook until slightly toasted. Add milk and bring just to a simmer. Don’t cook the sauce for too long even if it seems thin; it will thicken up in the oven as it bakes and as the gnocchi lets off some starch.
- Add the cheese and gnocchi. Stir Parmesan cheese into the sauce, then add the gnocchi. Sprinkle more Parm onto the top.
- Bake and broil the gnocchi. Bake in the skillet until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 10 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the cheese on top is browned in spots. Top with some black pepper and chives if you’d like.
When deciding which skillet to use, make sure it has high sides (at least 2 inches) if you’re using a 10-inch skillet, or else size up to a 12-inch skillet so there’s enough room to stir the sauce and gnocchi together and prevent the sauce from overflowing as it bakes.
What to Serve with Gnocchi Alfredo Bake
This gnocchi bake is rich and comforting. I like it best served with a lighter, brighter vegetable side dish. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Gnocchi Alfredo Bake Recipe
Plump gnocchi are baked in an easy Alfredo sauce that’s loaded with Parmesan cheese.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 3 ounces
Parmesan cheese (1 1/2 cups freshly grated, or 3/4 cup store-bought grated)
- 2
cloves garlic
- 4
fresh chives (optional)
- 2
(about 16-ounce) packages fresh, frozen, or shelf-stable potato gnocchi
- 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
- 3 cups
whole or 2% milk
- 1 1/4 teaspoons
kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Arrange a rack 6 to 8 inches below the broiler element and heat the oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Grate 3 ounces Parmesan cheese on the smaller holes of a box grater into fine shreds (about 1 1/2 cups), or measure out 3/4 cup store-bought grated. Grate 2 garlic cloves on the same holes of the box grater, or mince. Finely chop 4 fresh chives if desired.
Add 2 (about 16-ounce) packages gnocchi to the boiling water and stir to separate the gnocchi. Cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain the gnocchi.
Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a 10-inch broiler-proof high-sided skillet or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and whisk for 1 minute to cook the floury taste out. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in 3 cups whole or 2% milk and continue whisking, scraping along the edges of the skillet with a flexible spatula occasionally, until smooth. Stir constantly until the sauce comes to a simmer.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt and two-thirds of the Parmesan (1 cup freshly grated or 1/2 cup store-bought grated), and stir until melted and smooth. Add the gnocchi and stir gently until the gnocchi is evenly coated with sauce. Taste and season with kosher salt as needed. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan (1/2 cup freshly grated or 1/4 cup store-bought grated).
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, 7 to 12 minutes. Turn on the broiler to high and broil until the top is golden-brown in spots, 2 to 7 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes. Top with a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper and the chives if desired before serving.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.