There’s nothing I love more than a quick and easy dinner recipe that looks and tastes like something you’d order in a restaurant. Take this Mozzarella Basil Gnocchi, for example. It takes minutes to prepare, but my family feels like they’re getting an extra special meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Gnocchi is always a great ingredient to use when you need to get dinner on the table fast! It comes vacuum packed, and usually cooks in five minutes are less. Add some prepared pasta sauce, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil, and dinner is on the table in no time.
I usually use a jarred pasta sauce to make this recipe extra fast and convenient, but you can certainly make our favorite homemade sauce. The fresh mozzarella will cost a little extra, but it’s totally worth it in this recipe. It’s what really adds that restaurant quality to the finished dish.
I try to find pre-sliced fresh mozzarella if I can. The fresh stuff can be a little tricky to slice, and buying it pre-sliced makes things so much easier. But don’t worry about slicing it yourself, even if it comes out looking a little less than perfect. This dish is supposed to look rustic!
You can literally have this meal on the table in about 15 minutes! So it’s perfect for busy weeknights, or those times you just don’t feel like putting a lot of effort into dinner. The vacuum packed gnocchi lasts for quite a while, so I like to keep some handy so I can throw this dish together at the last minute.
It’s one of those recipes that reminds me that sometimes a few fresh, simple ingredients make for the best meals.
Don’t forget to save this quick and easy pasta recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Mozzarella Basil Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 16 oz. packages vacuum packed gnocchi
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 23.5 oz. jar prepared pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil plus more for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute a few minutes more. Stir in red pepper flakes, pasta sauce and water. Bring to a simmer. Stir in fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Top gnocchi with slices of mozzarella cheese. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and begins to blister. Garnish with additional fresh basil, if desired.
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3 comments
Michelle Wilkinson
Easy and yummy – I’ll make sgain!
Jessica
I’ve been using this recipe for the last few months to mix things up. I love how easy it is to put together and tastes so good that even my picky preschoolers eat it up! Adding in some ground Italian sausage is equally as tasty. Thanks for sharing!
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
mmm i used to think gnocchi was gummy and doughy and gross (i tried a bite of an overcooked one and it was not good), but i’ve recently started to come around. definitely need to make it had home, though; i paid $24+ for a super tiny portion recently! good but maybe not worth that much.