Gnocchi Marinara (10 Minute Meal)

Gnocchi marinara is a simple, one pan meal that cooks in just 10 minutes. This gnocchi with marinara sauce is flavorful and filling without complicated ingredients. This recipe is quick and easy and made with 6 simple pantry ingredients and minimal prep. Gnocchi with white beans is the recipe to make when you don’t have a lot of time for dinner.

If you love this gnocchi in sauce recipe, you have to try these beans with marinara (serve with toast or crackers) or this creamy tomato pasta without cream.

Gnocchi alla marinara spotlight

• Easy to make
• Use store-bought, shelf stable gnocchi
• One pot meal
• Packed with flavor
• Hearty & filling (thanks to the white beans)
• Gluten free and dairy free (using gluten free gnocchi and vegan parmesan)

Ingredients

• Shelf stable gnocchi – I used chickpea gnocchi to make this gluten free and as a way to add more protein and fiber However, this recipe will work with any shelf-stable gnocchi.
• Marinara – use your favorite store bought or homemade marinara
• Baby spinach – this adds color and more veggies to the dish
• White beans – unlike a traditional gnocchi with tomato sauce, this recipe adds white beans as a way to make this recipe more filling.
• Parmesan cheese – use regular, vegetarian or dairy free to make this recipe vegan.
• Fresh basil – this adds more flavor to the end dish

Cooking gnocchi in sauce

Add gnocchi and marinara in a large skillet (with a tight fitting lid). Turn heat to medium high.

Once the tomato sauce is bubbling, stir the skillet well then cover and cook for 2 minutes (this will help fully cook the gnocchi quickly).

After 2 minutes, take off the lid, stir well then add the baby spinach, and half the parmesan cheese. Stir well. Add ½ – ¾ cup of water to help thin out the sauce.

When sauce has reached your desired consistency and spinach is wilted, turn off the heat and add the rest of the parmesan and chopped fresh basil. Serve hot.

Top tips

• Stir gnocchi often to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot when cooking
• The starch from the gnocchi will thicken the sauce, so you will need to add water or the sauce will be too thick.
• You don’t have to pre-cook the gnocchi, it cooks quickly in the sauce.

Other additions

• Spicy: Add crushed red pepper flakes
• More fresh herbs: Add flat leaf parsley, oregano
• Make it cheesy: mozzarella cheese

Common questions

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi is a type of pasta that look similar to a dumpling but is typically made with potatoes and flour.

I used these chickpea flour gnocchi, they are gluten free and packed with protein and fiber, making this dish more filling

What to serve along with gnocchi and white beans

Simple green salad with creamy balsamic dressing

Greek Salad with Kalamata Olive Dressing

Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs or Italian Chicken Chunks

Don’t have marinara on hand?

Make your own pasta sauce with 5 simple ingredients

Storing leftovers

• Fridge: Store in a well sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Store in a freezer tight container for up to 3 months. I like to store in ½ cup portions using Soupercubes, then transferring to a Stasher bag.

If you gnocchi, you should try

Air Fryer Cauliflower Gnocchi

Tomato Gnocchi Soup

Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi