Goat Cheese & Tomato Gnocchi

This creamy goat cheese tomato gnocchi pasta dish cooks in less than 10 minutes for an easy and decadent restaurant quality dinner at home.

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This week we’re sharing one of our new favorite pasta recipes, a creamy goat cheese and tomato gnocchi we developed for a recipe contest earlier this year. Inspired by two of our all-time favorite restaurant dishes, this decadent dinner pairs the soft and pillowy texture of potato gnocchi with a luscious goat cheese and tomato sauce. This recipe has all the best parts of a comforting Italian pasta dinner – it’s saucy, it’s creamy, and it’s heavy. Each bite melts in your mouth and leaves you craving more, making this gnocchi totally irresistible!

Here’s the best part: Our creamy goat cheese tomato gnocchi pasta recipe cooks on the stove in about 10 minutes, so there’s no need to set aside time for it to bake in the oven. With just a couple of simple ingredients and a few minutes of your time, you’ll have a delicious restaurant quality Italian dinner on the table in no time.

Goat cheese and tomato gnocchi pasta with fresh basil on top

Goat Cheese Tomato Gnocchi Ingredients

This comforting gnocchi dish is made with a simple goat cheese and tomato sauce. Our recipe uses jarred bruschetta-style sun dried tomatoes as the base for the tomato sauce, so you get tons of flavor without a lot of effort or ingredients! Plus, jarred tomato means you can easily make this dish year-round, which is an extra bonus because it’s so delicious on a cold winter evening.

Here’s the full list of ingredients you’ll need for making goat cheese and tomato gnocchi:

  • Bella Sun Luci Bruschetta with Italian Basil Sun Dried Tomato
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Water
  • Tomato paste
  • Minced garlic
  • Salt
  • Goat cheese
  • Potato gnocchi
  • Fresh basil leaves

We recommend buying high quality, locally sourced goat cheese for this recipe so it will easily melt into the tomato sauce for that perfectly creamy texture. This recipe also tastes best with authentic Italian potato gnocchi, which you can find at any local Italian market. If you don’t have easy access to Italian ingredients, we recommend using either the Nuovo Pasta (sold at Whole Foods) or Delallo (sold at Target) brands. Both are delicious and are the closest store-bought alternatives to handmade Italian pasta we’ve found!

A dish of creamy goat cheese and tomato gnocchi

How To Cook Gnocchi At Home

If you’ve never made gnocchi before, it’s not as intimidating as it might seem! While hand-rolling gnocchi from scratch can be a challenge, it’s very easy to purchase at the store and cook at home. Here is how to make the best gnocchi:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Add the gnocchi and let them cook undisturbed in the boiling water until they float to the top of the pot. This will only take a few minutes, so keep an eye on the stove!
  3. Use a large spider strainer to scoop the gnocchi out of the pot. Check to see if they’re done by gently pressing on them with the back of a fork. If they give a little, they’re done.

Most store-bought packages of gnocchi recommend boiling them anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. We find it’s best to do the fork test on every couple of gnocchis that float to the top of the pot before removing them, just to ensure they’re soft since the cooking time will vary based on their size.

How To Make Gnocchi With Goat Cheese And Tomato Sauce

Making the tomato and goat cheese sauce for this recipe is almost as easy as boiling the gnocchi! Here’s how to do it:

  1. Add the jarred sun dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, water, tomato paste, garlic, and salt to a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth.
  2. Transfer the sauce to a large sauté pan and warm it over medium heat until it starts to steam. Crumble three-quarters of the goat cheese into the sauce and stir to incorporate as it melts. Once it’s fully incorporated, lower the heat to keep the sauce warm.

That’s it! Two steps and you’ve got a super thick and luscious goat cheese tomato sauce for your gnocchi in under 10 minutes. Once the gnocchi are done cooking, add them to the sauté pan and stir to coat them in the sauce. This sauce is so creamy that it should easily cling to the gnocchi as you stir to combine everything.

Finally, plate your tomato and goat cheese gnocchi with a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese on top and a sprig of fresh basil leaves. A beautiful and fresh-smelling garnish on top of this creamy, cozy pasta is all you need to have a gourmet Italian-style dinner in your own kitchen!

A plate of creamy goat cheese tomato gnocchi garnished with fresh basil

Goat Cheese Tomato Gnocchi Serving Suggestions

Like any good pasta dinner, this goat cheese and tomato gnocchi pairs well with a glass of wine and a side of freshly baked Italian bread. This is a decadent dish, so we recommend drinking a sweeter white wine (like a fruity pinot grigio) to wash down the thick, creamy bites of tomato gnocchi. And since these gnocchi are swimming in such a delicious sauce, you’ll want to have fluffy bread on the table for sopping it all up once the gnocchi disappears! 

This creamy, decadent, goat cheese tomato gnocchi is the best dish for impressing your loved ones with a home-cooked meal. Make it for a special birthday or anniversary dinner, or scale the recipe for two and enjoy a Valentine’s Day dinner in. 

Whatever the occasion, we know you’ll love this super easy and indulgent tomato goat cheese gnocchi! Try the recipe below and don’t forget to rate, comment, and share. And for more decadent dinner ideas like this one, sign up for our newsletter here.


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5 from 2 votes

Goat Cheese and Tomato Gnocchi

This creamy goat cheese tomato gnocchi pasta dish cooks in less than 10 minutes for an easy and decadent restaurant quality dinner at home.
Servings 6 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Next, add jarred sun dried tomatoes, water, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, minced garlic, and salt to a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Transfer the sauce to a large sauté pan and warm over medium heat until lightly steaming, about 2 to 3 minutes. Crumble three-quarters of the goat cheese into the sauce and stir to incorporate as the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn heat to low to keep warm.
  • While the sauce warms, boil the potato gnocchi until a few begin to float to the top of the pot. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to scoop them out of the pot, and check for doneness by gently pressing into the gnocchi with a fork (if they are soft, they are done cooking). Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the sauce.
  • Stir to combine gnocchi with the goat cheese tomato sauce, then remove from heat. Plate with a garnish of crumbled goat cheese and a fresh sprig of basil, and serve immediately.

Notes

Tomato paste: Did you know you can easily freeze tablespoon-size portions of unused tomato paste, so you don’t have to open a whole can just to throw most of it out? Simply measure out tablespoonfuls and dollop them on a parchment paper-lined tray that will fit in your freezer. Freeze for about 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight bag for storage in the freezer until needed!
Buying gnocchi: We recommend looking for a local Italian market to buy authentic handmade gnocchi from for the best taste and texture. If you can’t easily find this, the best store-bought alternatives are the Nuovo Pasta (Whole Foods) and Delallo (Target) brands!
Serving suggestions: This decadent gnocchi pairs well with fruity wines (white or red) and a side of fluffy Italian bread for sopping up the sauce.
Storing & reheating leftovers: If there’s any of this gnocchi left, you can store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave and enjoy!
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Author: Nicole
Calories: 384kcal
Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: blender, date night, fresh basil, garlic, gnocchi, goat cheese, holiday, pasta, red wine vinegar, restaurant style, sun dried tomatoes, tomato paste, valentine’s day

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 1004mg | Potassium: 669mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 858IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 7mg

If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.

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  1. 5 stars
    Packed with richness and flavor!

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe is the perfect easy & delicious dinner! Simple to put together and tastes so good. We loved it!

    1. Nicole Author says:

      Awesome, so glad you loved it!

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