This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Try this recipe for a Tuscan-inspired gnocchi in cream sauce when you need an easy but full-flavored meal. It’s got pillowy gnocchi, tender spinach, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, butter, and garlic. And you’ll love that it’s all made in one pan in about 15 minutes; the gnocchi cook directly in the sauce.
This recipe is the ultimate comfort food. It’s got amazing flavors and texture and lends itself to being eaten out of a cozy little bowl, spoon or fork held closely in hand.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi
- One pan to do it all—no separate pasta pot to wrangle or wash
- Big flavors from a short list of everyday ingredients
- Colorful sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and herbs dot the creamy sauce like jewels
- Garlic cream sauce tends to make people happy 🙂
What makes this gnocchi recipe “Tuscan”? I know you love similar flavors in this creamy Tuscan chicken, white bean skillet, and nourishing chickpea stew, but I’ll be the first to say it’s not exactly a traditional recipe passed down from grandmothers of the Italian countryside. It is a flavor combination marked by tomatoes, spinach, and Italian herbs, made wildly popular by none other than the Olive Garden.
That’s OK! It doesn’t have to be from the old country to be delicious.
Watch It Come Together (Video)
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient Spotlight: Gnocchi
Although we commonly think of gnocchi as a type of pasta, the tiny dumplings are most often made from riced potatoes. Potato gnocchi, or gnocchi di patate, are a favorite of Italian and Italian-inspired cuisine, because when prepared well, they are tender, pillowy, and miraculously light yet filling at the same time.
Of course there are other types of gnocchi, as well, such as those made with a base of ricotta or butternut squash. And there are Roman gnocchi, which are made from semolina flour more like pasta.
The unique shape of gnocchi—small nuggets lined with ridges—suits a sauce with some body, so that it won’t simply slide off. If you want to branch out from the simple cream sauce here, we also love gnocchi with a creamy pesto or vodka sauce.
Want to enjoy this but add some easy protein? Mix shredded cooked chicken—rotisserie is perfect—straight in at the same time as the spinach.
How To Make Gnocchi in Cream Sauce
This one-pan method is not only easy, it also subtly enhances the gnocchi’s flavor and naturally thickens the sauce because the gnocchi release starch as they simmer. It’s a win all around.
To make it, simply melt butter in a large skillet or saucepan. Be sure to use one with a lid! Sauté garlic in it briefly, then add cream and broth to make the base of your sauce.
Pro Tip
Drizzle a smidge of the olive oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes into the skillet along with the pat of butter. Even half a teaspoon will add subtle flavor. You can also reserve and use the oil for cooking in other recipes that call for sun-dried tomatoes. Tasty and economical!
Bring to a simmer, then stir in the uncooked gnocchi together with the sun-dried tomatoes.
Cover and cook for 4 minutes, then test the gnocchi. If they’re not done, leave the lid off but continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
As soon as the gnocchi are tender, stir in the spinach, Parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon juice. The lemon may seem inconsequential, but it brightens and brings all the other flavors to life!
Salt and pepper to taste, fresh basil for color and a small zap of flavor, and dinner is done!
Serving Suggestions
Top individual bowls of gnocchi with more Parmesan, basil or parsley, and black or red pepper added to taste.
Tuscan gnocchi make a very cozy and simple main dish, or a somewhat more elevated side to any Italian-inspired main, such as lemon thyme chicken breasts or herbed salmon.
More One Pot Recipes
- White Bean Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- One Pan Italian Chicken Tortellini
- Easy Ground Beef and Broccoli
- Pesto Baked Mozzarella Tomato Chicken
Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
- 1 pound potato gnocchi, uncooked
- 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
- 1-2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- kosher salt and black pepper
- fresh basil, optional garnish
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. (Be sure to use a skillet with a lid!)1 Tablespoon butter
- Add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant, then stir in the cream and broth.2-3 cloves garlic, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken or veggie broth
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then stir in the gnocchi and sun-dried tomatoes. Cover the skillet and cook for 4 minutes, untouched.1 pound potato gnocchi, 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- Uncover the pan, stir well, and test a gnocchi. Continue to cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the gnocchi is tender and the sauce slightly thickened.
- As soon as the gnocchi is tender, stir in the spinach, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste. (I usually start with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, but this will vary to your preference.) Reduce heat to low or turn off altogether so the sauce does not start to separate.1-2 cups fresh baby spinach, 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, kosher salt and black pepper
- Garnish with fresh basil, more Parmesan, and more black or red pepper, as desired. Enjoy!fresh basil
Notes
- Choose the Right Pan: For this recipe to work as written, you must use a pan with a lid! I adore this Staub braiser and reach for it near-daily. It seems to be the right size for everything, has a convenient glass lid, cooks very evenly, and is easy to clean. It’s an investment for sure, but if you’re ready to up your cooking game, quality equipment is worthwhile. This Lodge option is also outstanding and significantly more affordable.
- Gnocchi: Use the shelf-stable kind sold with the dried pasta.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: You can use whole sun-dried tomatoes, just chop them into small pieces before adding to the skillet. If you only have the dry packaged sun-dried tomatoes (as opposed to oil-packed in a jar) try to rehydrate them for a few minutes in oil or water before adding to the pan.
- Sauce: Don’t worry if it does separate a little; just reduce the heat right away when you notice it and keep stirring. It still tastes wonderful, it just won’t appear quite so smooth.
- Storage: This is best eaten right away, but leftovers do stay good packaged in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. (These are our favorite meal prep boxes for the fridge.)
- Warming: Reheat in the microwave or in a small pan over medium heat on the stovetop. If the cream sauce looks dry, add a splash of water or broth to thin it back out.
- Variations: Try a similar technique to make creamy Tuscan tortellini or Tuscan ravioli.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on December 4, 2022 and has been updated with more helpful information on preparation and substitutions, and fewer extraneous notes.
I love this recipe so much I make it once a week.
Made this and it was the perfect cold night dinner. Increased the cream and the broth to make it more of a soup. Flavor was incredible. Kids and husband asked to put it in the rotation.
So easy to make and it’s absolutely delicious!!
This sounds delicious, but I have to ask, can you really mince 3 cloves of garlic, julienne tomatoes, grate 1/2 c parmesan and measure out the other ingredients, all in just 3 minutes? It would take me double that just to get the ingredients out. I really appreciate it when recipe writers give realistic prep times.
Hi Elizabeth- that is a fair point. I think the disconnect is that the way I would normally approach this recipe is to mince the garlic, then begin to cook. I would then have time to grate the Parmesan and measure out other items while the first cooking steps are already underway. I usually purchase sun-dried tomatoes already julienned in oil; if you can only purchase them whole, yes, that would add an extra minute of slicing up front. This said I can see how it may seem misleading if your approach is more of a classical chef with a full mise en place, and am sorry for the confusion. I can promise it’s not an intentional effort to mislead or give unrealistic information.
As far as getting the ingredients out, maybe I am speed demon or just guilty of juggling too many items at once, but yes, I can usually pull everything needed to make this type of recipe in one go from the fridge and another from the pantry, so about 60 seconds total for that. 🙂
Mese en place. Just have everything cut, minced and grated before starting the recipe. Makes things so much easier. You find have to do all that in 3 minutes, just have it done before starting.
It was really really delicious 😋🤗
So happy to hear it!