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Gnocchi is one of my most favorite foods ever. For a long time I never tried it because I thought it would taste like pasta stuffed with mashed potatoes. Even though I love mashed potatoes and I love pasta I just couldn’t imagine them together. Even though there are potatoes in gnocchi, I do not think they taste anything like potatoes. The potatoes give the gnocchi a kind of soft, “puffy” consistency. Basically, if you haven’t tried gnocchi because you think it is going to taste like potatoes, then I recommend giving it a try. And if you haven’t tried gnocchi for any other reason, I think you should give it a try too!
By far the best gnocchi I have ever had in my life was when Cliff and I went to Rome. Cliff ordered the gnocchi dish but I ate my fair share. It was unlike any other gnocchi I had ever eaten. Each little bite literally just melted on your tongue. Gnocchi and gelato are my main motivators in getting on that long flight to Italy. So worth it!! I have tried making them at home but it was a disaster! Note to self: Don’t triple a recipe you have never tried before! Ha! Until I get the courage to make my own again I’ll stick to frozen gnocchi! We usually eat our gnocchi with red sauce but occasionally we really splurge and I make gnocchi macaroni and cheese. As I noted below, this dish does not reheat well. I am usually a huge proponent of making things ahead of time and then reheating in order to create quick weeknight meals. I cannot recommend that for this dish. It is best served immediately. Also, in the past I have used pesto stuffed gnocchi which we really loved. Recently, I have been unable to find them though. Traditional gnocchi mac and cheese is amazing, but if you can find the pesto stuffed gnocchi give that one a try! If you have had a bad day and just want to curl up on the couch and eat some comfort food then this is the dish for you!
Here is what you'll need
Saute the garlic in the butter
Cook the gnocchi and transfer to a casserole dish
Add the flour to the butter and whisk. Add the milk and whisk until it thickens.
Add the cheese and whisk until melted
Pour the cheese sauce over the gnocchi and bake
Comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
1 pound frozen gnocchi
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/3 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
lemon basil for garnish, regular basil would work fine too
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Get the water boiling for the gnocchi and cook according to the instructions on the package. Drain and place in a small greased casserole dish. While the gnocchi are cooking prepare the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the garlic until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add the milk and whisk until the sauce has thickened. Add the cheese and whisk until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Just a pinch of each is fine. Remove from heat and pour over the gnocchi. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Garnish with chopped lemon basil. Serve immediately.
Note: This dish does not reheat well.
Source: A Live Love Pasta Original
About Kara Smith
OMG.
I had the most incredible gnocchi of my life in Rome a few months ago too! This looks amazinggg
Ughhhh I want to go back to Rome so bad!
Love comfort food…doesn’t get much better than gnocchi and mac n cheese combined
This looks decadent and amazing! I also love that your melted butter is smiling at me
that’s hilarious!!
Oh. my. goodness. This is some amazing comfort food!
great idea!
Wow. Okay, I had never thought of making macaroni and cheese with gnocchi. This looks gorgeous.
I love gnocchi! I made something similar, but used a roasted red pepper stuffed gnocchi. Amazing! I’ll have to try it w/ pesto next!
http://ruhlman.com/2009/12/pate-a-choux-video/
give this a try, ruhlman has never let me down on a recipe.
Oh, thanks!! I’ll try it!
This definitely reminds me of the gnocchi we had in Rome last summer. Best – gnocchi – of my life. Yours looks so yummy!! I highly recommend trying to make it again!! You know the melt in your mouth texture of that gnocchi in Rome? You can so do it! We actually make it without the egg & find it makes the gnocchi more tender – less chewy. It’s just mashed up potatoes, flour & salt. Oh & we don’t even bother with trying to put the ridges in them : )
You have convinced me. I’ll try again!
Just a quick question on the reheating — were you reheating in the microwave, or in the oven? It’s only just, my mom makes mac and cheese (not gnocchi…yet…) and when we reheat in the microwave, it’s kinda gross, but if you pop it back in the oven it comes out all crispy-fied on top again and it’s great!
Anyway, mostly I was just wondering. I REALLY want to try this recipe, but it would be so much easier to be able to reheat it, otherwise I’m afraid I’ll have to throw some out (I’m used to cooking too much and having leftovers for lunches, haha!).
(Either way, thanks for sharing this! I’m looking forward to trying it.)
Carmen,
It wasn’t horrible reheated but it was better the first day. And yes, we did use the oven.
Oh, okay.
Thanks!
I made mine with 1 cup of sharp cheddar because that is what was in my fridge. It smells so good in the oven and tastes amazing!! Love the garlic added in, it makes it unique.
This mac is creamy and gooey compared to a casserole-like mac that can be cut into squares. I’m totally in love, great recipe.
Love the recipe. Made it and added grilled chicken and bacon on top! I also added a mixed green salad with sunflower seeds, red onion, and a drizzle of vinegar and oil. It balanced out the rich flavor of the gnocchi. And thanks for introducing me to Fontina cheese…. yum!
I just finished making this recipe and it was so good. I used mozzarella, asiago, gorgonzola and parmissiano for my cheese blend and sprinkled some paprika on top after it came out of the oven. thank you for the recipe. will definitely make again.
Tiffany, I’m glad you liked it. I love this Gnocchi Mac and Cheese!