Gnocchi Bake
This Gnocchi Bake is comforting, delicious and packed with a range of different veggies. Kid and parent-approved, it is a great alternative to a pasta bake.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Lunch / Main meal
Cuisine: Italian Inspired
Servings: 3
Calories: 533kcal
Large Deep Frying Pan
Frying Pan
Baking Dish
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil (split)
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped
- 1 Carrot, grated
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced
- 1 Capsicum (Bell Pepper), finely chopped
- 1 Zucchini (Courgette), grated
- 500ml (2 cups) Passata SEE NOTE 1
- 2 tsp Dried Italian Herbs
- 120ml (½ cup) Vegetable Stock SEE NOTE 2
- 4 Basil leaves, torn
- 500g (1.1lb) Gnocchi
- 65g (¼ cup) Cheese (mozzarella, cheddar etc), grated SEE NOTE 3
In a large frying pan, heat 1tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and capsicum (bell pepper). Saute until softened, around 5-6 minutes.
Add the zucchini and saute for a further 5 mins.
Add the passata, stock and Italian herbs. Allow simmering for 15 mins. Season to taste (do not season if serving to a baby/young child)
While the sauce is cooking, heat the remaining 1tbsp of oil in a large frying pan, over medium heat. Add the gnocchi and pan-fry for around 7 mins.
Preheat the grill (broiler) to high.
Add the fried gnocchi and torn basil leaves to the tomato sauce and mix together. Transfer to a baking dish and top with cheese. Grill until the cheese is melted and golden, around 5-10 minutes
- Passata - If you can not find passata you can replace with canned crushed tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. You may need to cook the sauce for longer to allow the tomatoes to break down.
- Stock - Use homemade or reduced sodium stock (or replace with water) if cooking for a baby/toddler.
- Cheese - Use your family's favourite melting cheese (eg mozzarella, cheddar) or mix and match a range of cheeses. Mozzarella is probably most commonly used in a dish like this but my children like the sharp taste of a mature cheddar cheese.
- Gnocchi - Use fresh or packaged gnocchi. We prefer to pan fry the gnocchi for this dish but if you prefer you can cook as per pack instructions.
- Sauce - This is a chunky sauce, if this would be off putting for your children you could blend the sauce.
Nutritional information is a ROUGH guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator. Facts based on using mozzarella cheese to top.
Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 941mg | Potassium: 1156mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 5939IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 10mg