A gnocchi recipe that takes only 25 minutes to prepare. Like the title says, it’s a quick and easy creamy Tuscan gnocchi that’ll have you wanting more.
My life changed during the pandemic. My friend, Brynna, came over to make dinner for a few of the girls. She said she was making gnocchi and I rolled my eyes because Brynna is fond of making dishes no one understands. Think deep fried peppers with anchovies and flattened capers… My sister is an adventurous one in the kitchen! However, she made this easy creamy Tuscan gnocchi from scratch that day and I fell in love. It was a labour of love. You can say, she “put her back into it”. It was amazing. Skip to recipe.
I’ve made gnocchi a million times since. I haven’t made the gnocchi from scratch in a while because sometimes I want a quick and easy dinner. I keep a box of dried gnocchi from Eataly in my fridge for these days. You can get a box from any of your trusted grocery stores! Using packaged gnocchi cuts your cooking time by at at least 1 hour.
Are you ready to elevate your taste buds? Yes? Let’s get into it. Let’s make gnocchi in 25 minutes!
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter and sauté shallots until transparent, about 2 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
In another pan, cook the pancetta. This should take about 5-10 minutes. Once done, drain oil from bacon using paper towels and set aside.
Add the gnocchi to the large skillet and let cook in the butter for a minute. Pour in the chicken broth, cream, Italian herbs and pancetta. Mix it all together and reduce heat to low-medium. Cover pan with lid and let cook for at least 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. Remember pancetta adds salt to a dish so taste before adding salt!
Stir in the spinach leaves and cook until wilted. It’s important that the spinach is one of the last things you add. You don’t want the spinach becoming overly mushy and falling apart. Grate some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano (or store bought parmesan) into the skillet and add the basil as well. Let it simmer for a few minutes or until gnocchi is cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
Quick and Easy Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi with Pancetta
Course: LunchCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes15
minutesThis easy creamy Tuscan gnocchi is the ultimate comfort food all cooked in one pan! The delicious combination of the Italian seasoning with the shallots, garlic and pancetta make for an amazing flavorful dish.
Ingredients
1 lb. uncooked potato gnocchi, (the dry packaged gnocchi)
1 medium shallot (chopped, or 1 small onion)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
8 oz. chopped pancetta
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan)
2 tablespoons fresh/dried basil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter and sauté shallots until transparent, about 2 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- In another pan, cook the pancetta. This should take about 5-10 minutes. Once done, drain oil from bacon using paper towels and set aside.
- Add the gnocchi to the large skillet and let cook in the butter for a minute. Pour in the chicken broth, cream, Italian herbs and pancetta. Mix it all together and reduce heat to low-medium. Cover pan with lid and let cook for at least 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Remember pancetta adds a lot of salt to a dish so taste before adding salt!
- Stir in the spinach leaves and cook until wilted.
- Grate some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano (or store bought parmesan) into the skillet and add the basil as well. Let it simmer for a few minutes or until gnocchi is cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Serve immediately!
Mo’s Tip
- Use dry packaged gnocchi!
- It’s important that the spinach is one of the last things you add. You don’t want the spinach becoming overly mushy and falling apart.
- Remember pancetta adds salt to a dish so taste before adding salt!