Creamy Cheesy Baked Gnocchi

This Baked Gnocchi is creamy and cheesy served in a delicious white sauce. It is a delicious easy Pasta Dish ready in 20-30 minutes. The perfect any night dinner meal. It makes the perfect Comfort Dish.

I love sitting down to eat with Italians, not only are you eating absolutely amazing food, but you also talk about other wonderful absolutely amazing food that you have to eat sometime in the very near future. It never ends!

A couple of weekends ago, while having dinner with friends, I brought up the idea of baking Gnocchi. Well that opened the flood gates.

Can you actually bake Gnocchi without them becoming a soggy mess? Red sauce or White sauce? Or no sauce? Boil before baking or not? How long do you bake them for? And the big question: When are you making Baked Creamy Cheesy White Sauce Gnocchi?

Recipe Ingredients

• Gnocchi – either Homemade Gnocchi or a good quality store bought
• Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
• Fontal Cheese – or you can use Gruyere, Provolone or Gouda
• Thyme – fresh is always best or you can use ground

White Sauce

• Butter – I use salted
• Milk – 2% or whole milk
• Flour – all purpose
• Salt
• Basil – dried
• Oregano – dried

What are gnocchi?

They are small pieces of dough, usually round or oblong in shape that are boiled in water or broth and then tossed with different sauces.

The term gnocco (which is the singular form of gnocchi) mean knot (or nodo), it refers to something hard such as the knuckles (nocche) of a finger.

It was probably invented around the 16th century when potatoes were imported to Italy from America.

How to make it

In a large pot of boiling salted water add the Gnocchi, remove as soon as the Gnocchi float (no more than 30 seconds) and drain well.

In a medium pot over medium heat melt the butter, add the flour and salt, combine with a whisk, slowly add the milk, stir continuously until thickened (but not too thick, if it becomes too thick add a little extra milk), stir in oregano, basil and pepper.

Remove from heat. Stir in half the Fontal (or Gruyere cheese) and 1/2 the Parmesan cheese, then gently fold in the Gnocchi.

Transfer it to the baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining Fontal cheese and Parmesan cheese, top with fresh thyme if desired. Bake for 3-5 minutes then broil for a few minutes. Let sit a couple of minutes before serving. 

Gnocchi should be boiled for about 30 seconds before baking, and then bake them high and fast, basically you want to just melt the cheese, and oh that cheese, broiling it at the end gives you that glorious crunchy cheesy topping.

What can add to my Baked Gnocchi?

If you like you can add, some broccoli or cauliflower pieces, peas, chopped peppers or if you prefer you can add some meat such as chopped Italian sausage, chopped pancetta, chicken pieces.

Since the baked gnocchi is cooked quickly, you should cook the vegetables or meat before adding.

How to store it

Store any leftover gnocchi in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will last 3-5 days in the fridge.

You can reheat it in the microwave, in the pre-heated 375F (190C) oven for about 5-8 minutes or even in a pan on the stove. If it’s very thick you may want to add a tablespoon or two of milk. Heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

Can I freeze leftover baked gnocchi?

Freezing it is not a great idea, because the frozen dish once it is thawed might fall apart, separate and become mushy.

If you still decide to freeze it, then freeze the completely cooled gnocchi and place in a freezer safe container. It will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat.

This dish is perfect for a quick dinner whether for family or company coming and can be ready in under 30 minutes. So why not try this Sounds good to me. Buon Appetito!

More Delicious Baked Pasta Recipes

• Homemade Creamy Cheesy Baked Pasta
• Homemade Creamy Baked Pancetta Macaroni
• Baked Gnocchi Double Cheese Tomato Sauce
• Classic Lasagna

Updated from November 18, 2015.