This dish is my go to meal when I have pretty much run out of almost everything and I need to make a run to the store. This is an excellent pantry meal, no fresh ingredients needed. You can whip this up from staples you have in your pantry, fridge and freezer in no time flat. This meal has saved the day more often than I care to admit. Being a working mom is hard. Who knew that the single hardest thing in my adult life would be coming up with delicious meals for my family every single day! It’s not easy! File this one away for those days when you need something tasty for dinner and you need it fast. A meal that everyone will love and comes together quickly in-between school, soccer practice and homework. This meal fills your belly and tastes terrific!
How To Make Baked Gnocchi:
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Brown Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles with a wooden spatula as it cooks.
Once the sausage is cooked through add the jar of marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the pan.
Stir to combine. Increase heat and bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until sauce thickens, about 8-10 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Once the water boils, add gnocchi to the pot. Bring water back to a boil and cook gnocchi until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook them, they will continue to cook in the oven.
You could use any pasta that you have in your pantry, but Gnocchi are filling pillowy mouthfuls of goodness so I usually pick up a couple packages when I am at the grocery store so I always have them on hand.
Drain and return cooked gnocchi to the pot.
Add the sausage marinara sauce to the gnocchi.
Stir to combine the gnocchi with the sauce.
Transfer mixture to a casserole dish.
Top with a layer of grated Parmesan cheese.
Top with a layer of shredded Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Set oven temperature to “broil” and toast until cheese is golden brown along the edges.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a crusty loaf of French bread and a crisp green salad to complete the meal.
Doesn’t that dish of cheesy pasta goodness look wonderful? The Italian sausage adds loads of flavor and adds some much needed protein to the dish. If you have some fresh produce in the fridge serve this with a green leafy salad and a freshly baked loaf of bread to complete the meal. You won’t get any complaints when you serve this for dinner!
Learn all about how easy it is to bake your own bread here. Go on, give it a try! You will be amazed at how easy it is and everyone will think you are a bread baking goddess. There’s nothing better in the world than the aroma of freshly baked bread coming from your kitchen. Bake two loaves while you’re at it, one for dinner with the family and one to share with a friend or neighbor.
This loaf has a crunchy, chewy crust with a soft, light and airy center. Just the way you want a good loaf of bread to be! Got butter?
This post was originally published February 2020 and republished with updated photos, recipe notes, and new content August 2025.
Baked Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 2 lbs Gnocchi
- 24 oz jar marinara sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Brown Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles with a wooden spatula as it cooks.
- Once the sausage is cooked through add the jar of marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the pan.
- Stir to combine. Increase heat and bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until sauce thickens, about 8-10 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Once the water boils, add gnocchi to the pot. Bring water back to a boil and cook gnocchi until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook them, they will continue to cook in the oven.
- Drain and return cooked gnocchi to the pot.
- Add the sausage marinara sauce to the gnocchi and stir to combine the gnocchi with the sauce.
- Transfer mixture to a casserole dish.
- Top with a layer of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Top with a layer of shredded Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Set oven temperature to "broil" and toast until cheese is golden brown along the edges.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a crusty loaf of French bread and a crisp green salad to complete the meal.
Did You Make This?
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I wow’d my family with your Lasagna recipe! Our daughter is in Milan for the semester and we are all craving good Italian food! Your recipe was perfect! Today she learned to make Gnocchi with her Italian classmates and now you’ve given my the opportunity to do the same! ❤️
I wow’d my family with your Lasagna recipe! Our daughter is in Milan for the semester and we are all craving good Italian food! Your recipe was perfect! Today she learned to make Gnocchi with her Italian classmates and now you’ve given my the opportunity to do the same! ❤️
Janae I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m impressed with your daughters Gnocchi making skills! I adore those little pillows of dough and making them from scratch tastes so much better than the store bought kind. ☺️