Switch up your weekly pasta night with this easy gnocchi skillet recipe. With a short and sweet ingredient list of pantry staples, this one’s guaranteed to be on repeat. Your entire family will love this easy gnocchi dish.
We love our one pot meals around here. When we’re not making this one pot chili mac, sheet pan gnocchi, or this easy skillet lasagna, we’re making this delicious easy gnocchi skillet recipe. With a short ingredient list of plant-based pantry staples, you can easily make this dish even when running low on groceries.
This baked gnocchi is one of my favorite easy skillet dinners. Just sauté your veggies and plant-based beef before stirring in your favorite marinara sauce, vegan ground beef, and the soft, pillowy gnocchi. (No need to pre-cook the gnocchi!) Top with some cheese and bake until the cheese is melted. This high protein vegan meal has all the comfort food vibes we need this winter.
What is Gnocchi?
If you aren’t familiar with gnocchi (pronounced ‘n(y)oh-kee’), they are a type of pasta that is shaped like chewy little dumplings. It’s usually paired with a rich tomato or creamy sauce. Traditionally, gnocchi is made from mashed potatoes, wheat flour, and egg. You can usually find gnocchi in the pasta section or freezer section at the grocery store.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- One Pot: who doesn’t love a one pan meal? With a toddler keeping me busy, I am all about one pot meals for simplicity and fewer dishes.
- Family Friendly: if there’s one thing our toddler reliably eats – it’s pasta. Although our toddler is still warming up to gnocchi, your kids will probably love this take on pasta night!
- Versatile: this easy dinner recipe is easily adaptable to different eaters in your house – whether vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, or something else in between.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potato Gnocchi: it hasn’t been too difficult to find brands of pre-made gnocchi that are vegan, but they occasionally include eggs so just double check the ingredient list. Both shelf stable and frozen gnocchi work well for this recipe.
- Plant-Based Ground “Beef”: to add more filling protein and heartiness to this vegan recipe, we added some frozen vegan meat crumbles. (I really like the plant based crumbles from Gardein.) You can use any plant-based ground meat you like such as Beyond Meat or substitute with 1 can of white beans (drained and rinsed).
- Veggies (onion, bell pepper, zucchini): we love this combo of veggies both to add flavor but also some fiber and texture to this baked gnocchi. Any color of bell pepper will work for this recipe.
- Dried Oregano: I like to add a bit more herby flavor with some dried oregano, but you could also use Italian seasoning. If you want to add a spicy kick, stir in some red pepper flakes too.
- Marinara: since the ingredient list is pretty short for this easy gnocchi recipe, splurge on a nicer marinara sauce if you can because they are usually more flavorful. You could also use a homemade marinara sauce.
- Vegan Mozzarella: I liked the way this dish looked when I topped it with sliced mozzarella, but you can also use vegan cheese shreds. (I’ve made it both ways!) If you aren’t vegan or dairy free, use regular mozzarella.
Variations
Vegetarian: use regular mozzarella cheese on top of this skillet instead of a dairy-free cheese.
Gluten Free: use gluten free gnocchi or try with Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi. Double check that your plant-based ground “beef” doesn’t contain gluten. My favorite plant-based ground “beef” products that are also gluten-free are Gardein’s frozen ground be’f and Abbot’s ground “beef”.
How to Make this Easy Gnocchi Skillet
Step One: Add olive oil to an oven-proof large skillet (like a cast iron skillet) over medium high heat and sauté the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and sauté another 1 minute.
Step Two: Stir in the vegan ground beef crumbles and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the marinara, oregano, and store-bought gnocchi and stir to coat the gnocchi in sauce. Turn off the heat and top skillet with sliced vegan mozzarella or shredded mozzarella. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and cheese has melted. Garnish with fresh basil or fresh parsley, to serve.
Tips for Making Skillet Gnocchi
- Switch up the Veggies: feel free to use different veggies in this baked gnocchi. I added bell pepper and zucchini, but you can add different ones depending on what your family likes or what is currently in your veggie drawer. Some other fresh vegetables that would be good in this recipe: summer squash, mushrooms, spinach, cherry tomatoes, kale, and chopped broccoli. Frozen greens are also a great option for this skillet gnocchi recipe.
- Swap Out the Protein: we used a vegan ground beef for this, but you could use a plant-based, flavorful Italian sausage instead. If you want to avoid plant-based meats, use canned white beans or crumbled tempeh instead.
What to Serve with Skillet Baked Gnocchi
This skillet baked gnocchi is a complete meal on its own, but if you want to serve something with it we recommend a bagged salad, coleslaw, or a simple cooked vegetable like green beans.
Here are a few salad recipes that would be delicious with this cheesy gnocchi skillet: lemon kale Caesar salad, pear arugula salad, or this citrus and fennel salad.
Recipe FAQs
Do I need to pre-cook the gnocchi?
Nope! There’s no need to pre-cook the gnocchi for this dish since it gets cooked until tender in the oven when mixed with the marinara. The starch that’s released from the gnocchi helps thicken up this dish as it bakes. Is
Is gnocchi gluten free?
No- traditionally, gnocchi is made with wheat flour and mashed potato so it is not gluten free. However, most popular pasta brands carry gluten-free versions of gnocchi now.
Is gnocchi vegan?
Not always – some brands of gnocchi contain egg, which is not vegan. However, many brands of gnocchi are accidentally vegan so just double check the ingredient label before buying.
Is potato gnocchi healthy?
Yes, just like pasta can be included in a healthy diet – so can gnocchi. Because it is partially made with potatoes, gnocchi is usually a bit higher in carbohydrates, 50 grams of carbs per serving vs 39 grams for standard pasta. Both pasta and gnocchi have about the same amount of fiber (2 grams) and protein (6 grams0 per serving.
Storage
Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Freezer: leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
-
One Pot Vegan Chili Mac
-
Vegan Taco Pasta
-
Easy Vegan Skillet Lasagna
-
Vegan Baked Ziti
Did you love this recipe? Make sure to leave a 
rating and tag #dietitiandebbie on instagram!
Print
Easy Gnocchi Skillet
Switch up pasta your weekly pasta night with this easy gnocchi skillet recipe. With a short and sweet ingredient list of pantry staples, this one's guaranteed to be on repeat. Your whole family will love this easy gnocchi dish. Course Entree, Main DishCuisine AmericanDiet Vegan Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 20 minutes minutesTotal Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings Calories 491kcal Author Deborah Murphy
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups vegan ground "beef"
- 1 (25 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 (1 lb) package potato gnocchi
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 oz vegan mozzarella (or 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add olive oil to an oven-proof skillet and sauté the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté another 1 minute.
- Stir in the vegan ground beef crumbles and sauté or 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
- Add the marinara, oregano, gnocchi, and sea salt and stir to coat the gnocchi in sauce. Turn off the heat and top skillet with sliced vegan mozzarella or shredded mozzarella. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and cheese has melted. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, to serve.
Video
Notes
Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Freezer: leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1517mg | Potassium: 767mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1810IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 11mg
The post Easy Gnocchi Skillet appeared first on Dietitian Debbie Dishes.
