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Yields:
6 - 8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Move over, mac and cheese! One taste of this baked gnocchi alfredo and it's sure to become the comfort food your family craves most. A good pasta recipe can fill bellies and warm souls and this cheesy casserole is no exception. It would be a welcome addition to any Italian dinner menu, and it bakes, start to finish, in under 1 hour—perfect for a weeknight meal. Serve this alongside a colorful winter salad for a fulfilling vegetarian meal, or fold in a cup of cooked chicken or a few crumbled pieces of bacon. You really can't go wrong! Bonus: The leftovers (if you have any) are just as delicious!
Should you cook gnocchi before baking it?
Nope! There's no need to boil the gnocchi before assembling the casserole. It goes straight from the package, into the sauce, then it all gets baked together in the oven. That's what makes this family dinner so easy!
What kind of cheese do you use for baked gnocchi alfredo?
This baked pasta has lots of parmesan and fontina for optimum cheesiness! The fontina melts beautifully to give it that rich, creamy texture, while parmesan gives the dish its classic Alfredo bite. If you can't find fontina, look for monterey jack cheese. It works just as well.
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp. butter, plus more for the baking dish
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 8 oz. grated fontina (or monterey jack) cheese, divided
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 16-oz. packages shelf stable gnocchi
- Basil leaves and chives, chopped
Directions
- Step 1Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and heavy cream. Cover and microwave until very warm, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 2In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it is bubbling and lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the milk mixture and whisk until smooth, scraping the bottom and corners of the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches a low boil and thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
- Step 3Reserve ½ cup of the fontina and ¼ cup of the parmesan for the top of the casserole. Add the remaining fontina and parmesan to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth and melted. Whisk in the salt and pepper.
- Step 4Remove the gnocchi from the packages and break into individual pieces, if necessary. Gently fold into the sauce.
- Step 5 Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Transfer the gnocchi mixture to the baking dish. Top with the remaining cheeses. Bake until bubbly around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Heat the broiler to high heat and broil for 2 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Top with basil and chives, and serve.
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