Gnocchi, how do I love thee…let me count the ways. Oh how I adore those soft pillows of pasta, and when you bake them up in a cheesy sauce? Well it’s a little bit of heaven on your plate. The only thing that could possibly make this any better…frying the dough? Ok, ok…that might be just a little overkill. We will just have to settle for pillowy bites of pasta bathed in a rich, creamy, cheese sauce today. Life can be so hard, isn’t it? LOL!
Serve this scrumptious side with a thick, juicy grilled steak. Is steak on sale this week? Be right back, gonna check and find out. The rich sauce is the ultimate compliment to a perfectly grilled steak. If you’re in the mood for a lighter meal, this rich pasta dish pairs beautifully with this Rockin’ Good Rocket Salad. It’s one of my very favorite salads! The tart and tangy dressing is a refreshing contrast to the decadent, rich, cheese sauce in this gnocchi bake.
Don’t you just want to dive right into this? I DO!!! Enough of my jabbering…let’s make this already!!!
This recipe uses just a small handful of ingredients so it’s important to use the highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on. And because it comes together so quickly on the stovetop, be sure to have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking the sauce.
Preheat the oven to 375℉.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Sprinkle flour in the pan.
Using a whisk, stir and cook to remove the raw flour taste, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the milk and Dijon mustard, stir to combine and no lumps of flour remain and the sauce is bubbly and thickens up.
Add shredded Gruyere and Fontina cheeses to the pan.
Stir until cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Taste and season with salt & pepper.
Turn off heat and add the reserved cooked gnocchi to the pan.
Stir to coat the gnocchi with the cheese sauce.
Top with a layer of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Place skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and hot.
Set oven temperature to “broil” and cook until the top is golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Don’t walk away while broiling. It will go from lightly golden brown to burnt in about 2 milliseconds, so keep a close eye on it!
Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Top with chopped fresh parsley to serve.
A huge shout out to Cathy at Noblepig.com for providing the inspiration for this utterly delectable side dish. Anytime I run across a recipe that calls for gnocchi, I have to give it a try, and I’m so very glad I tried this one! I’m obsessed with those little pillows of doughy goodness! This dish has quickly become one of my all time favorite sides. The combination of Gruyere and Fontina cheeses gives this dish an unexpectedly delectable, complex flavor profile. This is not your ordinary pasta side dish. I look forward to trying more of Cathy’s recipes, she definitely hits it out of the park with this delicious recipe! Be sure to check out her beautiful website. It will definitely get your mouth watering!
Gnocchi Skillet Bake
Equipment
- 10 inch Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 16 oz gnocchi, cooked according to package directions
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 cup whole milk or ½ & ½
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 4 oz Fontina cheesee, shredded
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- salt & pepper, to taste
- freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour in the pan and using a whisk, stir and cook to remove raw flour taste, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in milk and Dijon mustard, stir to combine and no lumps of flour remain and the sauce is bubbly.
- Add shredded Gruyere and Fontina cheeses to the pan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt & pepper.
- Turn off heat and add gnocchi to the pan. Stir to coat the gnocchi with the cheese sauce.
- Top with a layer of shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and hot.
- Set oven temperature to "broil" and cook until the top is golden brown in spots.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Top with chopped fresh parsley to serve.
Did You Make This?
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