Creamy Gnocchi with Tomatoes

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My Creamy Gnocchi with Tomatoes recipe is comfort food at it’s best, a real hug in a bowl! I coat my gnocchi in the most delicious sauce made with fresh garlic, tomatoes and basil leaves, which I combine with cream cheese and Parmesan for added punch.

Creamy Gnocchi with Tomatoes

Y’all know my crew loves everything pasta. I try really hard every week to ensure there are a variety of pasta recipes in my weekly meal plan, using the different pasta types available. This Creamy Gnocchi with Tomatoes recipe is one of their favorites.

My creamy gnocchi recipe combines soft pillows of gnocchi covered in a creamy, cheesy sauce with grape tomatoes, garlic and basil, is the ultimate comfort food.

Sometimes I’ll mix things up and include some grilled chicken strips or Italian Sausage slices with the Gnocchi Garlic Cream Sauce.

What I also love about this dish is that it can be cooked and on the table in around 20 minutes, making this a mid week favorite dinner.

If you love pasta, but have never tried gnocchi, then I recommend you give it a try for something a little different. I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine does!

How to make Creamy Gnocchi with Tomatoes

• Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Then drain, setting aside a few teaspoons of the water the gnocchi was cooked in.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until soft.

• Cut the tomatoes in half and add to pan. Cook for a further minute, stirring often.

• Add the cooked gnocchi.

• Next add the cream cheese and black pepper and cook gently until the cheese has melted.
• Add a teaspoon of the gnocchi water to loosen the sauce and stir.

• Tear fresh leaves of basil and add to pan with the grated cheese.

• Stir to combine and add a little more gnocchi water to thin out the sauce if it’s too thick.
• Serve immediately. 

Recipe ingredients

• GNOCCHI – I use a 1 lb package of gnocchi which will feed 4 diners.
• TOMATOES – I use grape tomatoes for their sweet flavor, but you could also use cherry tomatoes, or any other small tomato.
• CHEESE – I use both cream cheese and grated Parmesan to flavor the sauce.
• GARLIC – fresh garlic cloves add great flavor to this gnocchi dish. You could use garlic puree in a pinch.
• OIL – I use regular olive to cook the garlic and tomatoes. Don’t use EVOO as it has too low a burn temperature.
• HERBS: I add a handful of fresh basil to the sauce. You could also use parsley.
• SEASONING: I season the salt with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Flavor variations:

• If you love tomatoes, increase the tomato flavor by adding sun-dried tomatoes as well as fresh.
• Add some diced zucchini along with the tomatoes.
• Throw in a handful of spinach at the end of the cook and allow to wilt into the sauce.
• I’ve used fresh basil, but parsley would be a great substitute.
• Add meat to the sauce, shred up some rotisserie chicken, or add some slices of Italian sausage or salami.

Serving suggestion:

This is a hearty bowl of food, so I keep any side dishes simple. I like to serve some crusty bread or garlic bread with gnocchi, along with a dressed green salad. Although there’s lots of cheese in the sauce, I still like to shred some fresh Parmesan over the top of the dish, along with a good crack of black pepper.

Recipe hints & tips:

• Garlic burns really easily, so only ever cook garlic over a medium heat, and only for a minute or two to soften it. Any longer and you risk burning the garlic, making it bitter.
• When cooking pasta or gnocchi I always set aside some of the cooking water before I drain it. The cooking water is perfect for not only seasoning the dish, but also loosening the sauce if it’s too thick.
• This recipe serves 4 but can be doubled up if you are feeding a larger group of people.

FAQs

Don’t miss these other delicious Pasta Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

• Chicken Parmesan
• Instant Pot Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta Casserole
• Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
• Tuscan Chicken with Penne Pasta
• One Pot Italian Sausage Pasta

These are a few items I find helpful in my own kitchen when preparing this Creamy Gnocchi with Tomatoes Recipe:

Cuisinart 77-412 Chef’s Classic Stainless 4-Piece 12-Quart Pasta/Steamer SetPHILWIN Cutting Boards for Kitchen, Plastic Chopping Board Set of 5 with Non-Slip Feet and Deep Drip Juice Groove, Easy Grip Handle, BPA Free, Non-porous, Dishwasher SafeChef Knife – PAUDIN Pro Kitchen Knife 8 Inch Chef’s Knife N1 German High Carbon Stainless Steel Knife with Ergonomic Handle, Ultra Sharp, Best Choice for Home Kitchen & RestaurantAmazonBasics Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Pan, 15 InchHelen Chens Asian Kitchen Burnished Bamboo Kitchen Tools Cooking Utensils and Stir Fry Set, 6-Piece SetThe 5-Ingredient Italian Cookbook: 101 Regional Classics Made SimpleItalian Moms: Spreading Their Art to Every Table: Classic Homestyle Italian RecipesItalian Cookbook for Beginners: Over 100 Classic Recipes with Everyday Ingredients