Keep this gnocchi and gorgonzola cream sauce recipe taped to your fridge for those nights when you’ve got last-minute guests. They’ll be incredibly impressed by the luxurious blue cheese sauce and tender gnocchi, and no one will ever guess that it took you less than 30 minutes to prepare. I won’t tell if you don’t.
I’ve got to warn you, though, that this is a rich–I mean rich as in filling–dish. Knowing how The One and I love potatoes and pasta, I was sure we could easily knock back seconds. Ummm…absolutely not! After one serving, I was fully satisfied. Sated. Happy. Yes, I did lick my plate, I’m not ashamed to say. Then we had we small salad and a sliver of brownie pie. After that, we were set…imagine that!
Why Our Testers Loved This
The testers adored the “luxurious” and “dreamy” gorgonzola sauce and were delighted that it was so quick and easy to prepare. Terry S. called the recipe “clear and concise” and loved that it was suitable for cooks of all abilities, including novices.
What You’ll Need to Make This
- Gnocchi–You can use shelf-stable, frozen, or homemade potato gnocchi for this recipe. If using homemade gnocchi, take care not to overcook them, as they can fall apart.
- Heavy cream–This makes the sauce unbelievably rich and creamy, and I highly recommend you use it. If you’re adamantly anti-cream, substitute half and half for a slightly less creamy sauce.
- Gorgonzola–This pasteurized blue cheese has a creamy texture and mild flavor. If it comes with a rind, be sure to remove it before adding your cheese to the sauce. If you are lucky enough to find Gorgonzola dolce, a softer, sweeter, and milder blue, snatch it up. It’s lovely in this dish.
- Hazelnuts–These add a welcomed textural difference and nutty sweetness that play well off the blue cheese. You can use chopped walnuts, but I find that they add a wee bit of bitterness.
How to Make This Recipe
- Heat the cream and butter in a large skillet.
- Add the blue cheese, stirring to combine.
- Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is velvety smooth.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce until rich and thick.
- Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water.
- Drain the gnocchi and add them to the gorgonzola sauce, stirring very gently to coat.
Common Questions
Gnocchi are traditional Italian dumplings most commonly made with flour, potatoes, egg, salt, and occasionally with ricotta cheese. They’re often added to soup or tossed with butter, alfredo, or roasted tomato sauce.
For this recipe, you want to prepare your gnocchi by cooking them in boiling salted water. They’re ready as soon as they float to the top of the pot. But if my gnocchi is particularly delicate, I remove them from the water sooner.
This is very rich, so I recommend pairing it with a simple Italian salad if serving it as a main dish or with a lean protein, such as pan-seared chicken breast, if serving it as a side dish.
Helpful Tips
- Store leftover gnocchi and sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat it in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of cream or milk to loosen it.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free gnocchi.
More Great Gnocchi Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) butter
- 8 ounces gorgonzola cheese, finely crumbled
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 24 ounces (1 ½ pounds) store-bought or homemade potato gnocchi
- 1/4 cup skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, warm the cream and melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in the crumbled gorgonzola cheese.
- Mix until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, and a grating of nutmeg. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the sauce is velvety and rich, 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions, or until tender and pillowy, 2 to 5 minutes. Drain the gnocchi.
- Stir the drained gnocchi into the sauce to coat, being mindful not to smush the tender pillows.
- Divvy the gnocchi and sauce among warm bowls and top with the chopped hazelnuts. Serve at once.
Notes
- Storage–Store leftover gnocchi and sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating–Reheat in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring occasionally and gently, until warmed through. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of cream to loosen it.
- Dietary–To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free gnocchi.
An LC Original
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Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This potato gnocchi with blue cheese sauce is a winner. I could DRINK the sauce; it’s so silky, rich, and delicious.
I made my gnocchi from scratch using a recipe from a Florentine friend, but whether you’re using homemade or store-bought gnocchi is perhaps less important here because this sauce steals the show! What a decadent treat for a chilly evening!
This slightly funky, luxurious sauce over pillowy gnocchi was a dream in flavor (rich) and effort (none). We served it with our go-to fall salad of arugula, julienned Asian pear, pickled local grapes, red onion, and pepitas in a white balsamic vinaigrette. They were an excellent combination for autumn with cold Orvieto Classico.
This dreamy Gorgonzola sauce uses just a few high-quality ingredients but uses them very well. The cheese, cream, and butter come together in a smoothly textured sauce perfect for gnocchi.
The Gorgonzola even has a subtle sweetness and notes of spice, such as anise, that come out as the sauce simmers. These flavors also blend very well with the added fresh nutmeg.
This would impress a crowd–especially those who love blue cheeses. I served this with sautéed fresh green beans with lemon juice, which added a nice fresh/acidic balance to the creamy pasta.
This recipe was perfect for a gloomy fall evening. Recipe prep was effortless, and the actual cooking was simple. The recipe was clear and concise. A novice cook would have no difficulty following the instructions.
It’s an impressive recipe requiring minimal work and delivers maximum flavor and quality. I’d keep it in my back pocket to prepare on short notice. The flavor is exceptional.
I garnished the final product with some crushed walnuts and chives.
I often struggle to know what to have as a quick mid-week accompaniment for a piece of protein. This creamy gnocchi Gorgonzola fulfills this purpose well. Plus, it can also be reheated the next day if desired.
I served my dish with “nacho cheese and tex-mex” chicken fillet, which was cheesy and slightly spicy. The dish can easily be made while roasting the chicken in the oven.
Too good to be true!! I have made this several times and tried some variations. All wonderful.
We now bake the gnocchi, which gives it a little different texture that we love. Some supermarket gnocchi are made specifically for oven baking instead of boiling, but toss with a little olive oil and bake at 450 until getting a little golden brown.
This last time, as a hearty main dish, we added little peas (frozen), mushrooms (pre-cooked), and crispy pancetta.
The base sauce is SO good. Thank you, David!!
Ellen, be still my heart! I lurrrv the idea of baking the gnocchi. Is there a particular brand you prefer? I use De Cecco for this recipe and for the gnocchi and sausage soup. The addition of the peas and mushrooms is genius!