Yearning for a culinary adventure? Italian cuisine has many delicious staples, pizza, various types of pasta, gelato, the works! We will gladly add gnocchi to that list. These tasty dumplings are typically made from potato, eggs, wheat flour, and salt, showcasing an incredible versatility in flavor pairings with numerous sides and sauces. But if you’ve never tried gnocchi before, you may feel a bit uncertain about how to proceed.
So, in this article, we will explore 20 easy and tasty ways to serve gnocchi, covering various sauces, vegetable-based sides, meats, and more! By the end of it, you’ll be well-equipped with creative ideas for your next dinner party or family gathering.
Tomato Marinara Sauce
Culinary perfection awaits with the matchless pairing of gnocchi and homemade tomato marinara sauce. This indulgent combination is both tangy, sweet, and filled with a multitude of delectable flavors that are sure to leave you craving seconds. The recipe itself is incredibly straightforward, requiring only a few simple ingredients, including an abundance of garlic, onion, and oregano, to achieve an authentic taste experience.
We strongly encourage you to try out this recipe if you’re new to cooking with gnocchi or have never attempted making your own sauce before. With a preparation time of just 50 minutes and serving two people, it’s the perfect introduction to this Italian classic.
Tuscan White Bean Salad
Zesty flavors abound in this Tuscan white bean salad that’s perfect for accompanying your gnocchi. The combination of cannellini beans, earthy mushrooms, tangy lemon juice, and an assortment of colorful veggies creates a dish that’s not only satisfying but also surprisingly simple to prepare. In just three effortless steps and within 20 minutes total, you’ll be enjoying this delightful salad alongside your gnocchi.
Simply allow it to reach room temperature before serving on top, and get ready to savor the flavors.
Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
Diners looking to add more vegetables to their diet often overlook one of the simplest and most flavorful options: garlic parmesan green beans. These versatile side dishes are packed with antioxidants, fiber, and other essential nutrients that make them an excellent choice for a healthy meal.
One of the standout features of this recipe is its balance of flavors – the pungency of the garlic, the creaminess of the parmesan cheese, and the earthy sweetness of the green beans all come together to create a truly delicious experience without overpowering each other. This dish is incredibly easy to prepare and can be ready in as little as 30 minutes, making it an ideal option for busy weeknight meals or special occasions.
Whether served alongside gnocchi, pasta, or on its own, garlic parmesan green beans are sure to become a staple in your household, offering endless opportunities for creativity and experimentation.
Eggplant Parmesan Poppers
Generally speaking, fritters and eggplant parmigiana come together in harmony to form a delightful dish known as eggplant parmesan poppers. This innovative creation offers an exciting twist on the traditional Italian-inspired gnocchi recipe. Whether you’re cooking with young children or entertaining friends for a fun food-making experience, this recipe provides endless possibilities.
With its simplicity and ease of preparation, it’s perfect for a quick dinner solution that won’t leave your guests feeling disappointed. In fact, the best part is that it takes just 25 minutes to prepare, making it an ideal choice for busy nights when you need something to hit the spot!
Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce
Rich in flavor and texture, this delectable blue cheese sauce recipe relies on gorgonzola cheese as its main ingredient. This type of cheese boasts a heavenly taste that is often easily accessible at most supermarkets. The simplicity of the recipe lies in its minimal ingredients, making it an ideal choice for those looking to whip up something delicious without much fuss.
Adding your favorite foods such as crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, or fresh spinach can elevate the flavor and make this sauce even more tantalizing (though it’s perfectly enjoyable on its own!). What’s more, you won’t need to spend hours in the kitchen – this recipe can be prepared in just 20 minutes, making it a great addition to any meal.
Kale Salad With Lemon Dressing
Chicken Bolognese
Unleashing your culinary skills, homemade chicken bolognese is a perfect weekend dinner recipe for gnocchi that never fails to impress. Not only does it pack a punch of fresh ingredients such as bay leaves, carrots, and celery, but also provides an extra layer of flavor with the addition of chicken stock and oregano.
While this recipe specifically calls for chicken mince, feel free to get creative and substitute with roast chicken if you happen to have some leftovers from a previous meal – the result will still be incredibly delicious. Whether you choose to use one or the other, rest assured that your taste buds will thank you for taking the time to prepare this hearty dish.
In terms of preparation time, you can expect to spend around 40-45 minutes in the kitchen before sitting down to enjoy a steaming hot plate of homemade chicken bolognese with your favorite gnocchi.
Green Peas With Butter
You can’t go wrong with a classic combination like green peas with butter when it comes to serving with your gnocchi. The simplicity of this dish is what makes it so appealing, as it allows the flavors and textures of the other ingredients to shine through. Just add some salt and pepper to taste, and you’ll have a deliciously crunchy accompaniment that pairs perfectly with the fluffy gnocchi.
This recipe takes the shortest amount of time to prepare on this list, clocking in at just 7 minutes from start to finish.
Sage Brown Butter Sauce
Italian Stuffed Tomatoes
Unlock the authentic taste of Italy by pairing your gnocchi with an Italian side dish that has gained popularity in recent years, known as Pomodori Alla Lucani. The unique combination of ingredients, including tomatoes, garlic, pinenuts, anchovies, capers, and bread crumbs, creates a symphony of flavors that will elevate the overall dining experience.
The sweetness of the tomatoes perfectly balances the saltiness of the fillings, making this dish a match made in heaven when served alongside gnocchi. This delightful side dish comes together in just 40 minutes, ensuring you can indulge in its rich flavors without sacrificing too much time.
Pork Stroganoff
When it comes to adding some excitement to your traditional pork stroganoff dish, why not try a bold twist by serving it over gnocchi instead of the usual noodles? This creamy recipe has been carefully crafted to complement the delicate texture and flavor of gnocchi without overpowering them. In fact, when paired with chestnut mushrooms, it creates a truly decadent taste experience that will leave you wanting more.
If you prefer a slightly different flavor profile, feel free to substitute the chestnut mushrooms for white, closed-cup varieties if desired. The best part? This recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and yields four generous servings, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner or special occasion.
Garlic Mushrooms
Yellowing in flavor, garlic mushrooms and gnocchi is a remarkably straightforward dish to prepare, yet it tastes so good you’ll think they came right out of a high-end restaurant. All you need to do is sautee mushrooms and garlic in butter, that’s it! This particular recipe for garlic mushrooms adds a unique twist to the traditional dish by incorporating fresh parsley and thyme.
You won’t believe how much these simple herbs will elevate the dish, providing some earthy tones to its rich, meaty flavors. In fact, their subtle nuances are what take this dish from ordinary to extraordinary. Best of all? It takes just 15 minutes to make!
Slow Cooker Chili Con Carne
Alternately to serving traditional slow cooker chili con carne with rice, consider pairing it with gnocchi as a satisfying alternative that’s sure to delight. Although browning the mince is not necessary for this recipe, taking some time to prepare it ahead of schedule will allow the flavors to meld together perfectly throughout the cooking process. This simple and effortless recipe requires only 5 minutes of prep time and 6 hours of slow-cooking time, making it ideal for a busy day.
Easy Homemade Pesto
A delicious twist on traditional pasta sauces, pesto works beautifully with gnocchi as well. While store-bought pesto sauce is readily available at most supermarkets, this homemade recipe makes it a breeze to prepare and customize to your taste. What’s more, all you need is a simple food processor, and you’ll have a fresh batch of pesto in just 20-25 minutes.
Tenderstem Broccoli With Garlic
When it comes to elevating a simple gnocchi dish, the key lies in cooking the accompanying vegetables to perfection. By doing so, you can bypass additional toppings and focus on the star of the show – your expertly cooked pasta. For instance, try roasting tenderstem broccoli with garlic until it reaches a tender yet still crisp texture. Then, finish it off with a sprinkle of sea salt and a blend of traditional Italian herbs for a flavor combination that’s anything but basic or boring!
Alternatively, you can also experiment by cooking the broccoli with fresh lemon juice instead for a tangy twist. Regardless of your choice, this recipe will be ready in just 20-25 minutes, making it an ideal solution for a quick yet satisfying meal.
Honey-Glazed Salmon
Navigating mealtime on busy weeknights can be challenging, but this honey-glazed salmon dish proves that healthy doesn’t have to mean time-consuming. Ready to serve in just 8 minutes using an air-fryer, this recipe is perfect for those who lead hectic lives. The sweetness of the honey glaze pairs beautifully with the savory flavor of the salmon, and adding a splash of soy sauce provides a delightful contrast in taste that works wonderfully when served alongside gnocchi.
Roasted Cauliflower
Simply combining cauliflower with dijon mustard, tomato paste, parmesan cheese, and a generous helping of Italian seasoning creates a tasty accompaniment to gnocchi. Roasting these vegetables brings out their full flavor potential, resulting in a caramelized and delectable finish after just 20 minutes in the oven.
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
Beneath the stereotype that Brussel sprouts are only for special occasions, lies a hidden truth – they’re incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed throughout the year. One of the most delicious ways to prepare them is by cooking crispy air-fryer Brussel sprouts, which pair perfectly with gnocchi.
Whether you choose fresh or frozen Brussel sprouts, rest assured that they’ll deliver a fantastic taste experience, provided you don’t skimp on the pomegranate molasses – it’s essential to bring out their rich flavor (if pomegranate molasses is hard to come by, feel free to substitute with a balsamic vinegar and honey mix). This recipe comes together in just 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking at traditional Italian cuisine, it’s clear that gnocchi is a type of pasta that has been around for centuries. Its versatility in terms of ingredients used to make it has made it a staple in many Italian households. The most common mix of ingredients includes potatoes, eggs, and flour. When it comes to selecting the right potatoes for making gnocchi, using starchy potatoes is preferred over waxy ones.
Baking potatoes are an excellent choice due to their low moisture content, which helps in achieving a light and fluffy texture. This characteristic is crucial when aiming for that perfect gnocchi. Gnocchi can be easily substituted with pasta, as it shares many similarities with its counterpart. When paired with popular pasta sauces such as tomato marinara sauce, bolognese, or mushroom sauce, the combination is unbeatable.
Additionally, pairing it with vegetable sides like tenderstem broccoli or a kale salad with lemon dressing adds an extra layer of flavor and nutrition to your meal.
Directions
Key steps are required for you to successfully cook your chosen dish. Begin by picking a recipe that interests you, preferably one from our list of carefully curated options. Next, click on the name of the selected recipe and visit its webpage where you will find essential details such as ingredients, cooking methods, and nutritional information. Once you have everything at hand, collect all the necessary ingredients and begin preparing your meal.
After completing the culinary task, remember to take a moment to relish the fruits of your labor and don’t forget to leave a review once you’ve finished enjoying – this will help others who might be interested in trying out the same recipe.
