Creamy Spicy Gnocchi

Creamy Spicy Gnocchi is easy enough for a weeknight but decadent enough for date night! It comes together in less than 30 minutes and is a great meatless dinner recipe.

Jump to:

• Why I Love It
• Ingredients:
• Step by Step Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Leftovers and Reheating
• Recipe Notes and Tips:
• Variations
• Related Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why I Love It

• Quick to Make - The sauce takes less than 10 minutes to make (all while the gnocchi cooks) so you can have dinner in under 30 minutes (including the time it takes to boil water!).
• Adjustable Spice - As written, this recipe has a moderate spice level but you can easily adjust up or down.
• Creamy and Comforting - Thanks to the heavy cream, the gnocchi sauce is perfectly creamy and cozy.

Ingredients:

It only takes a few simple ingredients to make a creamy and spicy gnocchi dinner. Here's what you need:

• Store-bought Potato Gnocchi - buy the shelf stable kind sold in the pasta aisle. I have not tested this recipe with frozen gnocchi. Also try this Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup.
• Olive Oil - Or other cooking oil
• Garlic - Fresh minced is best but you an use jarred as well
• Tomato Paste
• Red Pepper Flakes - this gives the sauce most of its spice so you can easily adjust the amount
• Roasted Red Peppers - You can buy these in a jar at most grocery stores
• Heavy Cream - This is the key to making the sauce creamy
• Parmesan Cheese - Fresh grated is best
• Salt and Pepper

Step by Step Instructions

1. Cook Gnocchi: Start by boiling a pot of salted water and cooking the gnocchi according to the package directions. Make sure to reserve about ½ a cup of the starchy water. Don't overcook the gnocchi as it can cook more when added to the sauce.
2. Start the Sauce: While the gnocchi is cooking, start the sauce by heating the oil in a large skillet and cook the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, roasted peppers, and garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
3. Finish Creamy Sauce: Add the heavy cream and ½ cup of the starchy gnocchi water, stirring to combine and bring to a gentle to simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the Parmesan Cheese, taste, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add Cooked Gnocchi: Add the cooked gnocchi to the creamy sauce in the skillet. Toss to combine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Leftovers and Reheating

Leftovers and Storage: Leftovers will keep fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Reheating: For best results, I recommend reheating the leftovers in a pan on the stove over medium heat. However, you can also microwave for a quick meal. You can add a splash of cream or even water to help loosen the sauce up.

Recipe Notes and Tips:

• Adjust Red Pepper Flakes - If you don't like spice, you can cut down on the pepper flakes as well as use a milder chicken sausage.
• Storing Tomato Paste - If you have leftover tomato paste from the can, I like to freeze it to reduce waste! Just add the tomato paste to a plastic zip top bag, flatten, and press out the air. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can just break off a piece whenever you need some tomato paste.

Variations

• Dairy-free/Vegan: Instead of heavy cream, try swapping in full-fat coconut milk to make this sauce vegan-friendly.
• Add a Protein - This creamy gnocchi is great with added protein as well! Try folding in cooked shrimp with the gnocchi or cooked and cubed chicken breasts.

Related Recipes

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