One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese

One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese mains An easy dinner made with a quick homemade bolognese sauce using marina, gnocchi (no need to boil or precook it), ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese. gnocchi recipes One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese one pot meals

This delicious and easy gnocchi skillet bolognese recipe is perfect for busy week nights. In no time, you can have a satisfying and hearty meal on the table! Pillowy gnocchi /dumplings in a warm sauce covered in melted cheese. An easy dinner made with a quick homemade bolognese sauce using marina, gnocchi (no need to boil or precook it), ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese.

One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese

Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Quick: You will have dinner on the table in no time which is hard to beat for a meal as good as this one!
  • Easy: If you can brown beef, saute veggies, and mix a few ingredients together, then you can make this recipe!
  • Family Friendly: The whole family will love this recipe. It’s cheesy and everyone loves bolognese!
  • Flavor: Bolognese is pure comfort food and this dish checks all the comfort food boxes. It’s creamy, hearty, and cheesy!

One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese

Gnocchi Bolognese Recipe Ingredients:

  • OLIVE OIL: This is for sautéing the veggies and browning the meat. We always use olive oil but if you would like to use butter you can.
  • GROUND BEEF: I use lean ground beef for this recipe but you can swap it out for Italian sausage or use a blend of ground beef and Italian pork sausage - ground turkey works well to - really any ground protein
  • GARLIC: Use as much or as little as you like.
  • __ONION, CARROT & CELERY:__The classic trio refers to soffritto: a mixture of finely diced onions, carrots, and celery. Mince by hand or use a food processor.
  • MARINARA SAUCE: I usually use Raos but of course, you can use any brand you want. Marinara sauce is always the most flavorful sauce to use for this recipe but you can use plain tomato sauce or tomato puree / crushed tomatoes.
  • HERBS & SPICES: We like to garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or basil. We use Italian seasoning or a blend of rosemary, oregano, thyme, plus salt and black pepper
  • GNOCCHI: Shelf stable, frozen, homemade gnocchi and fresh (refrigerated) gnocchi all work well in this recipe. Use gluten-free gnocchi if desired and there is NO NEED to boil or pre-cook the gnocchi. Once done, cooked gnocchi should have a light, squishy, texture. It should be tender with a slightly chewy bite to it.
  • RICOTTA CHEESE: I use full fat smooth and creamy ricotta cheese which adds creamy richness to the bolognese.
  • MOZZARELLA CHEESE: Use freshly grated mozzarella cheese or pre-shredded. It’s the perfect way to top the baked gnocchi.
  • ADD-INS: For a heartier richer sauce you could stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste, and deglaze browned bits with broth, white wine or red wine and add a bay leaf for extra flavor. We usually don’t add these extras because this is meant to be a quick recipe not a low and slow kind of bolognese. This is a great recipe for sneaking some vegetables. Grated zucchini, spinach or mushrooms all work great.

One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese

One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese

How To Make (full instructions in recipe card below)

  1. SAUTE VEGGIES: Saute the onions, garlic, carrot and celery until softened.
  2. BROWN BEEF: Add ground beef and saute until cooked through
  3. STIR IN SAUCE, GNOCCHI & RICOTTA: Stir until well combined.
  4. TOP WITH CHEESE & BAKE: Sprinkle over cheese and transfer hot pan to preheated oven, bake until gnocchi is tender and the cheese is melted,
  5. SERVE: Serve warm. Serve it out into bowls and garnish with fresh basil or parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese

Gnocchi Bolognese Storage, Make Ahead & Freezing

  • MAKE AHEAD: This is such a great quick recipe so I would say for the most part I don’t usually make it ahead. If you wanted a portion to make ahead I would say saute the veggies and brown the beef then allow to cool and pace in a sealed container in the refrigerator (1-2 days ahead) until ready to make the dish. Once ready reheat veggies and ground beef in a skillet, add sauce ricotta and gnocchi and continue with recipe as stated.
  • STORAGE: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It tastes great even the next day.
  • FREEZING: You can also freeze leftovers. Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat leftovers in the microwave, stovetop or in the oven


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Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and minced
  • 1 carrot peeled and minced
  • 1 celery rib, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon chili flakes/red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce (709 ml)
  • 1 (16-ounce) packages gnocchi (see Note)
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
  • 1½-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center position.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet/pan or shallow large dutch oven over medium - high to high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook stirring 5 minutes until softened.
  3. Add ground beef, seasoning and chili flakes and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the marinara sauce, uncooked gnocchi, and ricotta, season with salt and pepper as needed - stir and toss well until combined.
  5. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over top
  6. Transfer hot pan to preheated oven and bake until gnocchi is tender and the cheese is melted, about 20-25 minutes. Feel free to broil the last 1-2 min if desired
  7. Garnish with parsley or basil and serve warm. Feel free to grate some extra cheese on top - Parmesan cheese or pecorino Romano

Recipe Notes

  • Shelf stable, frozen, homemade and fresh (refrigerated) gnocchi all work well in this recipe. Cooked gnocchi should have a light, squishy, texture. It should be tender with a slightly chewy bite to it.Once done, cooked gnocchi should have a light, squishy, texture. It should be tender with a slightly chewy bite to it.

One Pan Baked Gnocchi Bolognese