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Cooking and Baking

13 Sauces for Gnocchi That Will Make Your Gnocchi Game Unstoppable

Jenna Grunfeld August 8, 2017

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Feeling hungry but short on time to make dinner? Gnocchi may be the answer you’re looking for! I’ve put together a roundup of my favorite sauces for gnocchi. Rose, cheesy mushroom, one-pot meat, pumpkin, pesto alfredo, and even Thai sauces for gnocchi can transform your simple package of potato gnocchi into a quick and delicious meal.

 

What’s gnocchi, did I hear you ask? Maybe you’ve seen it in the store. You’ve seen it on menus. You’ve probably mispronounced it once or twice. You may have even seen videos of how to make it and thought, “That looks easy, I should really try that.” No? Just me? 

 

Gnocchi are small Italian dumplings, often made from potato though sometimes from ricotta cheese as well. (Wondering how to pronounce gnocchi? It’s “nyo-kee”. The ‘g’ is silent. If you’ve been mispronouncing it — no judgment.) Luckily for me, I don’t have to resort to making my own. Potato gnocchi are easy to find in almost any supermarket.

 

Personally, I enjoy using the kosher Bartenura brand gnocchi since they don’t require freezing or refrigerating. Plus, they taste great and if you want something a little different than the plain one, they also come in a spinach variety, which adds even more flavor and versatility.

gnocchi

 

But what do you do once you follow the package directions? How are you supposed to eat gnocchi? Well, friends. That’s where the fun begins! Gnocchi are a great vehicle for any number of sauces. The possibilities are endless. Here are enough recipes for you to have a different gnocchi sauce every day of the week.

 

Take a look below at the recipes I’ve gathered for you and choose your favorite ones! I think these are the best sauces for gnocchi- try them and comment below if you agree with me.

 

1. Rosé Sauce for Gnocchi

 

Recipe by Susie Fishbein

 

What a great way to “rosé all day,” am I right? This sauce is insanely flavorful and will go amazingly with your gnocchi.

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, minced

4 large cloves garlic, each cut in half

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup rosé (you can also use white wine)  

1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, with their liquid

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

black pepper, to taste 

 

You can find the full recipe here!

 

 

2. One Pot Meat Sauce

 

Recipe by Esty Wolbe

 

This is one of a few meat-based sauces on this list. Gnocchi isn’t just about the dairy! One of the recipes Esty is most well known for is her Faked Zitithis is the meat version of that. The sauce, the meat, and the gnocchi cook all in one pot together. And if you forget it on the stove for a bit, it just keeps getting better. The name “Faux-lognese” was rejected (like Bolognese? Get it?), but I would never reject a bowl of this. 

 

Ingredients

 1 large onion
 6 cloves garlic
 2 pounds ground beef
 1 jar Tonnelli Marinara Sauce
 4 tablespoons Tuscanini Tomato Paste
 1/2 tsp sugar
 salt and pepper to taste 

Find the full time-saving recipe here!

 

3. Cheesy Mushroom Gnocchi 

 

Recipe by Michal Frischman

 

I don’t know about you but this one had me at cheesy. And then again at mushroom. Because I like to try things out for you I have to let you know that sticking a fork at your computer screen will not, in fact, get you a bite of this dish. I guess I’ll just have to make it. 

 

Ingredients
 4 quarts water
 10 ounces (280 grams) cremini mushrooms
 10 ounces (280 grams) wild mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, or beech)
 Gefen Olive Oil Cooking Spray
 1 tablespoon salt
 1 tablespoon butter
 1/3 cup milk
 4 slices Haolam American cheese
 4 slices Haolam mozzarella cheese
 salt, to taste
 pepper, to taste

 

Find the full recipe here!

 

4. Tomato Cream Sauce 

 

Recipe by Sam Adler

 

Sure, you could buy a jar of marinara sauce and call it a day, but wouldn’t you rather doctor it up into something amazing? This sweet and savory tomato cream sauce is the kind of dairy indulgence we can definitely get into. 

 

Ingredients

 1 medium onion, diced small
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 and 1/2 cups Tuscanini Marinara Sauce
 2 tablespoons brown sugar
 3/4 cup half and half
 Parmesan cheese, for garnish

 

Get the full recipe here!

 

5. Hearty Vegetable Sauce 

 

Recipe by Raghavan Iyer

 

 

This recipe developer literally wrote the book on potatoes, so you can probably take his word when he recommends a sauce for gnocchi. This one is hearty, warm, and is the kind of comfort food you can feel good about.

Ingredients
 2 tablespoons Gefen Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
 4 medium-size cloves garlic, finely chopped
 1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) diced tomatoes (including juices)
 1 can (15 ounces) white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
 8 ounces fresh baby spinach, thoroughly rinsed and dried
 1 teaspoon coarse sea or Haddar Kosher Salt
 1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

 

Get the full recipe here

 

6. Gnocchi Pumpkin Sauce 

 

Recipe by Joodie the Foodie

 

This is a good one to have in your pocket come Fall. But if you’re like me, you like to get a head start on pumpkin season. Hey, they wouldn’t sell canned pumpkin in the stores year-round if you weren’t supposed to use it!

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

1 and 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup semi-dry white wine

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon cut up fresh sage

 

Get the directions (and an awesome recipe for making gnocchi from scratch, if you’re up for it) here!  

 

7. Pesto Alfredo Sauce 

 

Recipe by Esther Deutsch

 

I have a family friend with a crazy amazing garden in her backyard. In the summer, she brings over entire shopping bags filled with basil, and my family is absolutely swimming in it. Needless to say, I’m always looking for recipes like this one.

 

Ingredients

Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts, toasted

4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

 

Sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Haddar Kosher Salt, to taste

 

Find out how to make it here!

 

8. Summer Corn Ragu 

Recipe by Ashira Mirsky

 

 

This summery gnocchi dish has rich flavors that will keep you going back for seconds and thirds!

 

Ingredients

 1 large onion, chopped into very fine pieces
 2 stalks celery, chopped into very fine pieces
 1 can yellow corn
 1 cube Gefen Frozen Garlic
 salt
 pepper
 1 and 1/2 pounds ground meat
 1 and 1/2 packets Knorr Corn Soup Mix
 6 ounces Tuscanini Tomato Paste
 2 cups water
 1 teaspoon oregano
 2 packages Bartenura Gnocchi
 olive oil
 parsley, for garnish

 

Find the full recipe here!

 

 

9. Jalapeño Cream Sauce 

 

Recipe by Raghavan Iyer

 

 

If you like your cream sauce with a little (Okay a lot) of spice, this one is probably already calling your name. Just imagine the cream cutting some of that spice, and the pillowy gnocchi bites carrying this sauce for you.  

 

Ingredients

 1 or 2 fresh green jalapeño chiles
 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
 1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
 1 medium-size tomato, cored and coarsely diced
 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea or Haddar Kosher Salt

 

You can find the full recipe here!

 

10. Thai-Style Peanut Sauce 

 

Recipe by Raghavan Iyer

 

If you’re looking for something a little different to go with your gnocchi tonight, consider this Thai-style sauce. This sauce is described as “addictive enough to sip with a spoon,” but adding the nutty, spicy, sweet flavor to a warm bowl of gnocchi might be just the thing. 

 

Ingredients

4 fresh or dried red Thai chiles
 boiling water (optional)
 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
 1 cup Gefen Unsweetened Coconut Milk
 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lemongrass
 4 slices fresh ginger (each about the size and thickness of a quarter; no need to peel first)
 2 large lime leaves or 1 tablespoon lime rind
 1 tablespoon chunky or smooth natural peanut butter
 1 teaspoon fish sauce or 1 tablespoon soy sauce
 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea or Haddar Kosher Salt

 

Find the full recipe here!  

 

11. Pesto Sauce 

 

Recipe by Yussi Weisz

 

 

If you’re not into cream sauces, apparently I’m not supposed to send you away. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt though and assume you’ve just had too much cream sauce recently and need a break. This more traditional pesto is a perfect option if you’re looking for someting a little lighter, but still packed with flavor. Does fresh basil make this amazing and make your kitchen smell like you’re a professional? Yes. Do it work with a few frozen basil cubes? Between you and me, also yes. 

 

Ingredients
 2 cups fresh basil, washed and dried
 5 tablespoons Gefen Olive Oil
 5 cloves fresh garlic
 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or chili pepper
 1 teaspoon salt

Find out how to make it here!

 

12. Mornay Cheese Sauce 

 

Recipe by Gabe Garcia

 

 

As someone who has eaten Chef Gabe‘s food at the legendary Tierra Sur, I can tell you: his talent is not overstated. So when we tasked him with creating some dairy recipes for our series Under the Hood, we knew the results were going to be amazing. This “Sauce Mornay” as the French call it (thankfully, you can’t hear me trying to pronounce it in front of my computer with an accent) is actually two sauces in one—Gabe makes a blue cheese mornay and a gruyére and parmesan version. Either of these would make for a deliciously indulgent gnocchi experience. 

 

Ingredients

 1 cup béchamel (recipe in link below)
 1 egg yolk
 1 ounce blue cheese
 salt, to taste
 pepper, to taste

Find both recipes and a recipe for béchamel sauce here!

 

13. Oxtail Ragu 

 

Recipe by Sara and Yossi Goldstein

 

This is for those times when you’re really looking for something fancy to impress company. If the rest of these recipes are weekdays, this one is Shabbat. It’s got rich, deep flavors that develop slowly and will get you nice and ready for that afternoon nap.

 

Ingredients  

1/2 cup olive oil

1 pound (5-6 pieces) oxtail (about)

salt, for sprinkling

coarse black pepper, for sprinkling

all-purpose flour, for sprinkling

5 large celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, very coarsely chopped

2 cups dry red wine

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 fresh parsley sprigs

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

1 bay leaf

2 cups beef broth or Tabatchnick Chicken Broth

 

To find out how to make gnocchi from scratch using mashed potatoes rather than whole potatoes, check out the full recipe here

 

BONUS—have room for dessert? 

 

Caramelized Gnocchi

That’s right, gnocchi can also be made sweet. Take for example this caramelized gnocchi dessert. The gnocchi is soft and chewy on the inside and crunchy and sweet on the outside! 

Recipe by Batsheva Kanter

  

For all the carb lovers out there, this one’s for you! Let us know in the comments how you like to eat your gnocchi, and send us pictures if you try these recipes!

 

 This article was originally published on August 9, 2017, and was updated and improved in November 2020.