How to Serve Gnocchi: 4 Sauces to Serve With Gnocchi

Gnocchi is an Italian dumplings dish that generally consists of mashed potatoes, semolina, or flour. Other alternatives—like sweet potato gnocchi—are also common. It can be gluten-free or not depending on which ingredients you use. Chewy homemade gnocchi is often lower in carbohydrates and cholesterol than many other pasta dishes.

As with many other Italian dishes, gnocchi pairs well with sauce. Consider trying these four sauces with your own gnocchi recipe:

1. 1. Butter sauce: Simple to make, butter sauce recipes won’t add much to your total prep time. Place butter over medium heat until it starts to darken, and you’ll have a quick, naturally nutty brown butter sauce to drizzle over your gnocchi.
2. 2. Cream sauce: Heavy cream sauces can double as gnocchi sauces for an easy recipe. You can try out a thick Alfredo sauce with both cream and parmesan cheese to give your gnocchi an especially Italian flair.
3. 3. Marinara sauce: A particularly popular Italian tomato sauce, marinara consists of fresh herbs, garlic, and other spices.
4. 4. Pesto sauce: You can make a flavorful pesto with ground-up basil leaves, cheese, olive oil, pine nuts, and other tasty ingredients. Dousing your gnocchi dumplings in pesto will liven them up with flavor.

You can add cheese to gnocchi dishes as an easy way to add a tangy flavor to these dumplings. Here are five of the most common types of cheese to use in gnocchi recipes:

1. 1. Blue cheese: Notable for its potent taste, blue cheese is a good cheese to melt on top of your gnocchi or use in a sauce.
2. 2. Goat cheese: A regular substitute for those with lactose intolerance, goat cheese—or chevre—delivers a flavor similar to other cheeses but without cow dairy.
3. 3. Gorgonzola cheese: Hailing from Italy, tangy gorgonzola cheese is common on gnocchi in the nation of both dishes’ origin.
4. 4. Mozzarella cheese: Mozzarella is as common a topping for gnocchi as it is for other Italian dishes like pasta, pizza, and more. Make use of mozzarella if you want to add some flavor without the taste being too pungent.
5. 5. Ricotta cheese: You can put ricotta cheese on top of your gnocchi or add it to your sauce, but keep in mind that some people forgo traditional recipes and make ricotta gnocchi.

You can serve gnocchi with a host of other complementary ingredients and side dishes. Here are four foods that pair well with gnocchi:

1. 1. Breadcrumbs: If you want to give your soft, baked gnocchi a crispy crunch, consider adding breadcrumbs into the mix. Alternatively, you can serve some fresh Italian bread on the side.
2. 2. Meatballs: A protein-heavy addition common to many different Italian meals, meatballs go well with gnocchi, too. Consider covering your Italian meatballs in the same sauce and cheese as you do your gnocchi.
3. 3. Seasonings: Garnish your meal of gnocchi with black pepper or red pepper flakes, garlic, fresh herbs, and salt. For a sharp, acidic flavor and to add moisture, you can spritz it with balsamic vinegar.
4. 4. Veggies: Preparing veggies alongside your gnocchi might add to your total time in the kitchen, but it will also balance out the meal as a whole. Brussels sprouts, caramelized onions, green beans, and zucchini all pair well with this Italian pasta alternative.

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