Ground Beef Gnocchi is a one-pan weeknight dinner: browned ground beef and onion in a creamy tomato sauce with garlic, Italian seasoning and Parmesan, and soft, pillowy potato gnocchi that cooks right in the sauce. It serves 4 and is ready in 25 minutes.
How to make it: Brown the beef with the onion, stir in the garlic and seasoning, then add the tomatoes, broth, cream and uncooked gnocchi. Simmer covered for 5 minutes, then uncovered until the gnocchi is soft and the sauce thickens, and stir in the Parmesan.
Why You’ll Love It
- One skillet: the gnocchi cooks in the sauce, so there is no pot of water to boil and drain.
- Creamy and savory: tomatoes, cream and Parmesan make a rich, rosy sauce that coats every piece.
- Pantry friendly: shelf-stable gnocchi and a can of diced tomatoes wait in the pantry, so dinner is one pound of beef away.
- Easy to change: turn it into a cheddar skillet, a French onion skillet or a bubbling baked dish with ricotta.
Ingredient Notes
Lean ground beef: One pound. Lean beef leaves less grease to spoon off before the sauce goes in.
Potato gnocchi: One pound, uncooked. Look for shelf-stable packages near the boxed pasta; one 16-ounce package is exactly what you need.
Diced tomatoes: A 14-ounce can, juices and all. The juices are part of the sauce, so don’t drain them.
Broth and cream: Chicken or beef broth both work. Use heavy cream or whipping cream.
Parmesan: Half a cup, freshly grated, stirred in at the very end.
Seasoning: A little Italian seasoning, plus more to taste. If you don’t have any, use 1/4 teaspoon each of dried thyme, basil and oregano.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or to taste
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can), with juices
- 1/3 cup chicken or beef broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
- 1 pound potato gnocchi, uncooked, shelf-stable
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make Ground Beef Gnocchi
1. Brown the beef. Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 7 to 10 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the beef is cooked through and reaches 160°F. If there is a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.
2. Add the garlic. Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning.
3. Add the sauce and gnocchi. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the broth, the cream and the uncooked gnocchi, and give it a good stir. Once the sauce starts to bubble again, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Finish uncovered. Uncover the pan, stir, and cook a few more minutes, until the gnocchi is cooked through and soft and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
5. Add the Parmesan. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Serve right away.
Do You Need to Boil the Gnocchi First?
No. The gnocchi goes into the skillet straight from the package, uncooked, and cooks in the sauce with the beef. That is what keeps this a one-pan dinner.
Once the sauce bubbles again, the lid goes on for 5 minutes, then comes off for a few more minutes while the sauce thickens around the dumplings.
Gnocchi cooks fast, usually in 3 to 5 minutes, so stay close once it is in. Taste one: it is ready when it is soft and tender all the way through. Cooked much longer, gnocchi turns gummy.
Frozen gnocchi works too. Give it a few extra minutes to cook through before you add the cheese.
Want golden, crisp edges? Brown the gnocchi first. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat, add the gnocchi in an even layer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden and lightly crisped. Move it to a bowl, make the beef and sauce, then return the gnocchi and stir gently to coat.
Tips for Success
Why is my sauce too thin?
Give it more time with the lid off; a few more minutes of bubbling thickens it. For a thicker sauce from the start, sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the beef with the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes before adding a splash of broth and then the rest of the liquid.
What pan should I use?
A large, high-sided skillet with a lid does the whole job. You need the lid for the covered simmer in step 3.
Variations
- Cheeseburger style: leave out the Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes and Parmesan. Season the beef with 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, paprika and chili powder, then stir in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 3/4 cup of beef broth and the gnocchi. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer on low for 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar until melted.
- Baked with ricotta: use an oven-safe skillet and swap the tomatoes, broth and cream for 24 ounces (about 3 cups) of marinara. Brown the gnocchi first as above and stir it in, dollop 2/3 cup of ricotta mixed with 1/4 cup of Parmesan over the top, scatter 1/3 cup of shredded mozzarella and bake at 400°F for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
- French onion: leave out the tomatoes, cream and Italian seasoning. Cook 2 large sliced yellow onions in 3 tablespoons of butter for 15 minutes, until golden and soft, and set them aside. Brown the beef with garlic, dried thyme, basil and red pepper flakes, simmer the gnocchi in 1 1/3 cups of beef broth for 4 to 5 minutes, stir the onions back in, then top with 1 cup of shredded Swiss or provolone and 1/3 cup of Parmesan and cover for 1 to 2 minutes to melt. Use beef broth here for the French onion flavor.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Frozen leftovers are safe for 3 to 4 months, but FSIS lists cream sauce among foods that don’t freeze well, and cream can separate after thawing. Thaw them in the refrigerator. Reheat covered, on the stove or in the microwave, until it reaches 165°F. In the microwave, rotate the dish and add a little liquid if it looks dry. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Spoon it into shallow bowls and scatter chopped fresh parsley on top. For another one-skillet gnocchi dinner without meat, make creamy spinach and mushroom gnocchi, or enjoy gnocchi in a bowl of million dollar soup. For more ground beef and noodles in one pan, try ground beef stroganoff, one-pot taco spaghetti or Philly cheesesteak pasta. And when you want beef and potatoes the classic way, there’s ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is gnocchi good with ground beef?
Yes. Gnocchi are small potato dumplings, and here they simmer right in the creamy tomato sauce with the browned beef, so the whole dinner comes out of one skillet.
What kind of sauce goes well on gnocchi?
A creamy tomato sauce like this one is the classic with beef. Marinara works too: use 1 1/2 cups of marinara in place of the diced tomatoes, 1 cup of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of cream, season with 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and finish with 1 cup of shredded jalapeño pepper jack and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Can I use something other than ground beef?
Yes. Italian sausage works in place of the beef; brown it the same way. Cooked shredded rotisserie chicken works too.
Can I use a different cheese?
Yes. Swiss, mozzarella or provolone work, on their own or mixed with the Parmesan.
Final Notes
Have the tomatoes, broth and cream open and ready before the beef is done, so they go in together in step 3. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Ground Beef Gnocchi
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Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or to taste
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can, with juices
- 1/3 cup chicken or beef broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
- 1 pound potato gnocchi uncooked, shelf-stable
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 7 to 10 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the beef is cooked through and reaches 160°F. If there is a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.
- Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the broth, the cream and the uncooked gnocchi, and give it a good stir. Once the sauce starts to bubble again, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, stir, and cook a few more minutes, until the gnocchi is cooked through and soft and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Serve right away.
