Easy Baked Gnocchi Recipe
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Make this Easy Baked Gnocchi Recipe in one pan. Combine ground turkey, marinara sauce, veggies and cheese with pasta to make a healthy skillet gnocchi.
Make this Gnocchi bake for An easy weeknight Dinner
We all love an easy but healthy weeknight dinner, right? This easy baked gnocchi recipe was created after a craving for a pasta bake, but I only had gnocchi on hand!
The recipe calls for ground turkey, but you can sub that for any ground meat you’d like. You can also hide lots of vegetables in this dish to amp up it’s nutrient density! I use onions and spinach, but you could add in some bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant – you name it!
The soft gnocchi is tossed with spinach, seasoned ground turkey, and marinara and then baked with gooey mozzarella cheese.
Kitchen Tools
- Measuring spoons and measuring cups
- Liquid measuring cup
- Large oven safe skillet
- Cooking utensil like a wooden spoon or spatula
What is Gnocchi?
Traditionally, this little Italian dumpling is made from potatoes and wheat. Though it is not technically pasta, it is often treated similarly in dishes.
They can be found in many forms: shelf stable, frozen, or fresh! It has become quite popular to find gnocchi with various different kinds of vegetables included – like cauliflower, sweet potato, or kale. The traditional kind will always be my favorite.
Baked Gnocchi Recipe Ingredients
- Yellow onion
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Ground turkey
- Fresh spinach
- Gnocchi
- Marinara sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
Ingredient Substitutions for skillet gnocchi
This baked gnocchi recipe is actually quite versatile. You can add any vegetables you’d like to make it more nutrient dense. With a few substitutions it can fit many different dietary requirements!
You can use cauliflower gnocchi in place of wheat based gnocchi to make this gluten free (just make sure your cauliflower gnocchi is in fact gluten free!). You can use a dairy free mozzarella to make this dairy free, and if you’re vegan you can also replace the ground meat with a meat substitution and make it vegan!
How to make this Baked Gnocchi Recipe
Step 1: prepare Ingredients
Dice the yellow onion and set aside. Measure out the spices and herbs.
Step 2: Prepare on the stovetop
Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions and saute until soft and fragrant.
Place the turkey in the skillet and break it up as it browns. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, and dried basil.
Saute the spinach until wilted.
Step 3: Bake the dish
Turn off the stove top and add in the gnocchi and marinara sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cover the top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the oven.
Step 4: Serve
Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve with fresh basil.
Storage and reheating
Once fully cooled, store this gnocchi bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes, until warmed through.
Check out these other delicious Pasta Recipes
- Mushroom Alfredo Pasta
- Creamy Meat Sauce One Pot Pasta
- Asparagus Lemon Garlic Pasta
- Sun Dried Tomato and Turkey One Pot Pasta
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Easy Baked Gnocchi Recipe
Make a healthy gnocchi bake in one pan with simple ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/2 a yellow onion diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 3 large handfuls spinach
- 1 lb gnocchi
- 28oz marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onions to the skillet and saute until soft and fragrant – about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey to the skillet and break up into crumbles as it browns. After 3 minutes of browning the ground turkey, pour the salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano and dried basil into the skillet.
- Place the spinach in the skillet and toss to combine with the turkey and onions. Saute until wilted.
- Turn off the heat and pour the gnocchi and marinara sauce in the skillet.Toss to combine all of the ingredients and then cover the top with the shredded mozzarella.
- Place the skillet in oven to bake at 350F for 28-30 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve with fresh basil.
Chelsea H says
Hi, this recipe looks delicious. Wondering what you would suggest if I wanted to double the batch and then bake in the oven? What size dish would you use and should I still cook at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes? Thanks so much!
Madeline says
Hi! I would use a 9×13 casserole pan. I would cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes then remove the foil and allow the cheese to brown.
Kelly says
YUM! definitely gonna make this!
Erica says
Made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! I used kale instead of spinach and chicken instead of turkey because that’s what I had on hand. Everyone went up for seconds!
★★★★★
Jessica Maxey says
I made this with Cauliflower Gnocchi and it was so easy and so delicious! Great simple weeknight meal!
★★★★★
Madeline says
thanks Jessica!
Bonnie says
SO GOOD! SO EASY! Putting this into my pasta rotation. Absolutely loved it!
★★★★★
Sandra says
I always wanted to try making gnocchi at home but had been too nervous to try…this recipe seemed simple and I had most of the ingredients already ok hand so I decided to give it a try.
Your recipe was was so simple and tasty that I’ve made twice now within 2 weeks. My family loves it. Thank you!
★★★★★
Madeline says
so glad it went well Sandra! love that you finally got to make them. thanks!
Ashley says
I just made this. I haven’t even finished the bowl and I’m here to say this took almost no effort on my part and it tastes PHENOMENAL!! I used rotisserie chicken, mini gnocchi, and forgot to add all the greens I wanted – but it’s so delicious regardless. I’ll probably saute some greens and add to reheated portions.
★★★★★
Madeline says
YAY! love that you made if your own. I NEED to get my hands on some mini gnocchi
Carolyn R. says
So delicious and easy…love that there aren’t multiple pans/dishes to clean afterwards!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Madeline says
yay!! thank you!!
Anna says
Hi! Do you cook the gnocchi first or just throw it in with the sauce and cook in oven?
Madeline says
just mix it in!! it will cook through
Sarah H says
This looks delicious, but I don’t care for gnocchi. I have two questions. Would substituting a different pasta shape still work? And is that sodium nutritional information accurate? It seems incredibly high for this dish. Thank you!!
Madeline says
yes you could use any noodle shape, but you need to cook it ahead of time becuase it wont cook quickly like the gnocchi. I use a nutrition calculator and I don’t have control over every aspect (like I have to pick generic brand sauce, cheese etc.) If sodium is a concern I would just check the levels in the sauce and cheese taht you are using and then possible reduce any added salt
Sam says
I rarely go out of my way to leave a review on a recipe but this had my family raving! Such an easy and delicious recipe that can be dressed up or dressed down depending on how much effort you want to put in. Delicious any way you do it!
★★★★★
Madeline says
yay thanks so much for the review Sam! means a lot!
Diana says
Delicious, easy and fast
★★★★★
Madeline says
Thanks, Diana!
Natalie says
This was great!!! I LOVE one pan dinners and this tops the list for a fast, hot meal when you need to throw something together quick. I made mine even easier (I was in a hurry) I used 1 lb Italian sausage (has all the herbs already in it) and omitted the onion since my littles won’t eat anything with onions in it. I have a large family so I used 24oz of gnocchi, 24oz jar of Rao’s marinara, plus one can of tomato sauce and it all for into my Le Creuset pan perfectly. Cooked mine appropriately 35 minutes 🙂
★★★★★
Madeline says
Great to hear! Thanks, Natalie!
Nikole DiVito says
Made this tonight. Swapped out Turkey for beef because that’s what I had and added a dash of red pepper flake… BUT THIS IS OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS! For sure will be in the rotation!!!
★★★★★
Madeline says
Wow!! Thanks, Nikole! Great compliment.
Julie T says
This was absolutely delicious! I could have eaten the whole casserole by myself,but I had to share 😁
★★★★★
Madeline says
LOVE IT! Thanks, Julie!
Samantha S. says
This was absolutely amazing and a huge hit with my husband. I made it two weeks ago, and I’m making it again tomorrow! We love it!
★★★★★
Madeline says
Nice!!! Great to hear!
Lauren says
Stupid question do you precook the gnocchi ? First time using this
Madeline says
Nope! Goes into the dish uncooked 🙂
Cindy says
Do you use fresh or frozen gnocchi?
Madeline says
It can be either. Add 10 minutes to the baking time and cover with foil if you choose frozen.
Nancy says
Can this recipe be made freeze then defrost and then baked?nancy
Madeline says
Yes! Bake from frozen at 25 degrees cooler than normal for an extra 30 minutes covered. Check that it is warmed through and remove cover to melt cheese.
Dana says
Hello do you cook the gnocchi first ? Before putting in marinara sauce?
★★★★★
Madeline says
You just mix it in uncooked – it will cook in the oven.
Marija Zeljko says
Do you cook the gnocci first before you bake it?
Madeline says
Nope! It will cook in the oven.
C says
Delicious! Used GF gnocchi from Costco and Jennie-O breakfast sausage.
★★★★★
Madeline says
Yay! Thanks for the review!