Marry Me Gnocchi is made with gnocchi simmered with sun-dried tomatoes and garlic until tender, then joined by a generous pour of cream plus spinach and Parmesan. And it’s glorious!
This creamy sun-dried tomato gnocchi is made with 10 ingredients and only takes about 15 minutes to whip up. Not only is it a weeknight savior, seriously delicious, and easy, but the combination of flavors will have your loved one exclaiming “marry me!” after one bite. Or so the story goes.
Table of Contents
The Story Behind the Recipe
I’ve been eyeing the “marry me” trend for awhile now. It started with marry-me chicken then quickly moved on to many variations with pasta, chickpeas, tofu, and more. So much more.
While I’m not sure about the stability of a relationship that gets its start from a recipe, I do agree that the combination of flavors is inspirational, if not freaking delicious!
I decided I wanted to make my first marry-me recipe with gnocchi – because not a whole lot is better than gnocchi in a creamy sauce! Plus, I love how easy and fast it is to transform a package of store-bought gnocchi into a knockout of a dish within minutes. And this marry-me gnocchi is no exception!
Why You’ll Love Marry-Me Gnocchi
- The Tuscan-inspired flavors are absolutely delicious.
- It’s SO easy to make. And fast.
- You’ll get marriage proposals. It’s a fact. The internet says so.
Ingredients
- Olive oil – For sautéing the garlic and Italian seasoning. You can also use the oil from the jar of your sun-dried tomatoes for a boost of tomato flavor.
- Vegetable broth – For simmering the gnocchi and infusing some flavor.
- Gnocchi – The standard shelf-stable potato gnocchi you find in the pasta section at the grocery store.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – You’ll want about 1/2 cup of drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes. I use the ones packed in oil.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Just a bit for a smidge of heat.
- Salt & pepper
- Parmesan cheese – Make sure you grab a vegetarian Parm if that matters to you.
- Heavy whipping cream – For that gloriously rich and creamy sauce.
- Spinach – I like to use packaged baby spinach. It’s so convenient! I tend to pile the leaves on my cutting board and give them a few chops so that the wilted leaves aren’t quite so large when served.
- Basil – Fresh basil added at the end lends so much flavor! I like to leave a few extra for garnish.
Adaptation/Variation
- To make this a vegan marry-me gnocchi recipe, you can sub in full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream for the whipped cream and use vegan Parmesan cheese.
How to Make Marry-Me Gnocchi
- First, you’ll add the olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning to a large skillet and give it a quick sauté.
- Then, you’ll add the broth, gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cover it up and let it simmer for just a few minutes, until the gnocchi is cooked through.
- Third, stir in the spinach until wilted.
- Now it’s time to transform your marry-me gnocchi into the most glorious creamy gnocchi dish ever. Pour in your heavy whipping cream, then add the Parmesan and fresh basil. Stir until blended and warmed through.
- Yum! Serve topped with additional basil, more Parm, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes if you like.
Tip for Success
- Be sure and cover the gnocchi while it simmers in the broth. This will help retain the liquid for a nice and saucy result.
I hope this Marry-Me Gnocchi brings you everything you want this Valentine’s Day and beyond! Whether it’s a marriage proposal or just self-love because you’ve just made the most AMAZING dish all on your own, I hope you find yourself just as in love with Marry Me Gnocchi as we are.
More Gnocchi & Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Sheet Pan Gnocchi & Veggies
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- The Best Vegetarian Lasagna Ever
- The Best Macaroni & Cheese Recipe Ever
- Baked Boursin Pasta
Marry Me Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 16 ounces gnocchi
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained and chopped)
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups baby spinach (roughly chopped)
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves (chiffonaded [rolled and cut into ribbons], plus more for garnish)
Top with
- basil leaves
- shredded Parmesan cheese
- crushed red pepper flakes (if you'd like additional heat)
Instructions
- Place a large saute pan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Sauté for one minute, until tender and fragrant.
- Stream in the vegetable broth while stirring to pick up any stuck bits, then add the gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 5 minutes until the gnocchi is tender. Remove the lid and stir in the spinach. Cook for about a minute, until wilted, then stir in the Parmesan cheese, heavy whipping cream, and fresh basil. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese and basil.
Hi! I’m Karen – I’m a real person with real recipes. No A.I. here! Since 2009, every recipe on Kitchen Treaty is thoroughly tested and loved before I hit “publish.” I’m a home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m a vegetarian married to a carnivore, and my goal is to coexist deliciously.
I absolutely love your sheet pan gnocchi recipe so I’m excited to give this a try! I am not a huge fan of cooked spinach and was wondering if I could substitute in kale and if so, if that would change your cooking directions. Also, if you use the sun dried tomatoes that aren’t in oil, would that change the cooking directions? Thanks!
Hi Britta! I’m so glad you like the sheet pan gnocchi! So for this one, the instructions would stay the same – just swap the spinach with kale. It might take a minute or so longer to wilt. I really need to try this with kale – goes perfectly with the Tuscan vibes! As far as the sun-dried tomatoes go, ones that aren’t packed in oil should work just fine. I hope this one is a winner for you too! 🙂
Yum! So good, my omnivore husband ate it up!
Thanks for this delicious recipe on a rainy winter Sunday.
I am plant-based, so I made these tweaks:
– For the dairy parmesan: My homemade cashew parmesan.
– For the whipping cream: My homemade cashew cream made with 1/2 cup cashews and 1 cup NOT-chicken broth in my Vitamix.
– For the gnocchi: After seeing the gnocchi package ingredients with preservatives, etc., I opted for Banza brand shell pasta made from chickpeas. I cooked these in a separate pot per box instructions and added the drained shells to the cooked sun-dried tomato sauce afterward.
– Added more spinach to ramp up the veggie nutrition.
– Added a bit more dried red pepper flakes to ramp up the flavor.
– For the veg broth: I like the NOT-chicken broth by Imagine.
– For the garlic, I always double (or more) the garlic in any recipe because… GARLIC! 🙂
Hi Susan, I’m so glad this recipe served as a great jumping-off point for you and your husband! These tweaks sound amazing. Thank you so much for sharing and for your review!
Made this tonight and it’s fantastic!! So rich and savory. Wonderful!
Yayyy! I’m so glad it was a winner! Thank you so much for the review.
I made this and, oh yum! Thank you!
I confess, with some embarrassment, that I used linguine instead of gnocchi. In my defense, I was trying to get both of my kids to eat it, and one of them just CANNOT with gnocchi. Yeah, no drama in this house, haha.
Nevertheless, the dish came out wonderfully, everyone liked it, and it will get made again, so, success!
No embarrassment! I’ve been wanting to try this with pasta, myself, and linguini sounds amazing. Feeling inspired now! Thank you so much for the review! 🙂