Baked gnocchi with bacon, tomato and mozzarella
This easy baked gnocchi recipe with smoky bacon, tomato and mozzarella sauce is perfect for rushed weeknights when you need dinner on the table fast.
This baked gnocchi is comfort food. Comfort food for those who need comforting. And yesterday, I needed it (more than I normally do). You see, yesterday was not only the beginning of the 3rd school term here in SA, but also the day we had to start with Atropine drops on my darling princess. I’m not going to go into what Atropine is (you can read more here, if you so wish) but we are doing it because she has a pretty important appointment at an Optometrist this Thursday.
We found out a couple of weeks ago that her eyes are slightly squint (so slightly that we’ve never even noticed) but now there are talks of glasses and surgery and even though this isn’t, by far, the worst thing that could happen, I feel sad. I think as a mom, all you want is for your kids to be perfectly healthy and happy. Again, this isn’t even that big of a deal (and I can’t imagine what it must be like to hear your child is terribly ill, etc).
{Our beautiful Abi has been for two eye operations now after the glasses made no difference. Her eyes are perfect and the doctor is very happy. This post was originally written when I was feeling very sorry for myself and so, I’ve edited it slightly because I never want her to read this one day thinking I felt she disappointed me (which one reader pointed out) because nothing she could ever do would disappoint me. She is wonderful, smart and perfect in every way.}
Anyway, so yes, yesterday I needed comfort food. And since I also didn’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen, I knew I wanted to use a few packets of ready-made gnocchi. This isn’t something I use a lot because I really love making fresh gnocchi but it definitely is a life-saver when you’re pressed for time. I also think it works really well in a baked gnocchi dish because it’s quite a lot firmer than home-made gnocchi so the shape is retained while, I think, home-made gnocchi will just get mushy.
The sauce is made by frying bacon and then adding both tinned and halved cherry tomatoes and a splash of cream (you could also use yoghurt). The cooked gnocchi is mixed into this and then baked under a blanket of fresh, creamy fior di latte. Perfect, easy comfort food ready in a flash.
Baked gnocchi with bacon, tomato and mozzarella
Ingredients
- 500 g store-bought gnocchi
- 250 g bacon chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- handful cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons cream/yoghurt
- large handful fresh parsley chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- 100 g mozzarella sliced
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°c.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
- In the meantime, make the sauce.
- In a large, hot frying pan, fry the bacon until starting to crisp with most of the fat rendered.
- Pour off most of the fat then add the garlic and smoked paprika and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add all of the tomatoes and the sugar and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream/yoghurt, parsley and seasoning.
- Cook the gnocchi in the salted water until it starts floating to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce.
- Transfer the gnocchi and sauce to an oven-proof dish and top with the sliced mozzarella.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
More gnocchi recipes you will love:
Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi
Baked Caprese gnocchi
This post really hits home for me, especially today Alida! I am down in Charleston, SC with our oldest son Sean because today he is having Lasik surgery. He has been wearing glasses since 2nd grade and contacts since 5th or 6th. He’s been dying to have this surgery for years. He’s just tired of wearing glasses and having irritated eyes from his contacts. I have been stressed for weeks about it and will be happy when it’s all done late today. Please keep us in your prayers. Sean is perfect in my eyes in every way as I’m sure Abi is in yours, but now I hope the surgery can make his eyes perfect for him.
This is a dish I could surely use to comfort me today, but I’ll have to wait til I get back home to give it a go. Can’t wait!
Mary Ann, I hope Sean’s op went well! It is so hard when our kids go through things like that. xx
this sounds so satisfying and comforting. and yes, just what you need when life is a little hard to swallow. so hard when our kids face any type of adversity. so happy the surgeries were successful.
Thanks Cathy! Comfort food for parents in need of comfort.
soo good gnocchi, definitely comfort food <3
This is my kind of comfort food, Alida – so warm and cheese and tomatoey and delicious! Love it.
Anything with cheese is good, no? 🙂
Delish comfort food?
Wow. This is more appealing to me than lasagna. And i love lasagna! Would be fabulous for company. Thanks!
It definitely would! 🙂 And SO much easier than lasagna.
Made this tonight, went down a storm with my 9 year old, my husband and me (9 months pregnant and struggling to enjoy anything!)
Thanks!
So glad you liked it Tanya! Good luck with the last bit of your pregnancy!
I found this on Pinterest and made it for dinner tonight. We all loved it, I ncluding my two year old. Fabulous!
So glad you liked it Susan!
This was a quick meal which I appreciate, but I’m not sure smoked paprika is the best spice for this dish. The flavor seemed overwhelming; I might try regular paprika next time.
There are many people who find the flavour of smoked paprika overwhelming but I just love it, especially with the bacon. Regular paprika would also be great but you could omit it altogether if you’d like.
What are your suggestions for making this vegetarian? Thank you!
Hi alida i just saw your recipe and i’m thinking of making it for my best friend she loves gnocchi anything lol im alil confused if you can help i woukd greatly appreciate it what do you mean by cream heavy cream sour cream?
Hi Kassie. What we call “cream” in South Africa is considered “Heavy Cream” in the States. 🙂 I hope you’re best friend loves this!
You don’t put the bacon in the dish??
Hi Cici. Of course the bacon goes into the dish. 😉 After you’ve rendered off the fat of the bacon you add the garlic, smoked paprika and tomatoes which becomes the sauce for the gnocchi.
Love this recipe – have pinned it and will definitely plan to make it!
Rosemary, wonderful ideas! I hope you enjoy it!
Hello Alida just bumped into your site looking for coffee powder recipes, gnocchi yummy my mum used to make them fresh I will do this recipe but will do fresh gnocchi and add more veggies to the sauce like my italian aunties used to do thanks for sharing so many wonderful recipes.
I have made this about a million times since finding it on Pinterest. So easy to make, but really filling and delicious! Going to make this again now:) Thanks!
So glad you like it so much. It’s one of my favs too!
Wow! SO good! I used fire roasted tomatoes because it’s what I had on hand and cooked up some quartered criminis with the bacon since they needed to get used, but aside from those changes, stuck to the recipe. This is a new favorite! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for your comment Jodie. Glad you liked it.
I would let the gnocchi dry out a little on a semolina covered tray.
If I were to use homemade gnocchi, is there any way to prevent it from becoming “mushy?”
If I were to use homemade gnocchi in this recipe, would there be any way to prevent the gnocchi from getting “mushy?”