The Urben Life

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Recipes » Entrees

Gnocchi Bolognese

Modified: Sep 20, 2024 · Published: Apr 24, 2023 by Jenna Urben · This post may contain affiliate links.

830 shares
  • Facebook
  • Email
Jump to Recipe

This easy gnocchi bolognese recipe combines soft, pillowy gnocchi with a rich, meaty sauce. It comes together in 30 minutes and is perfect for date night, sunday supper, or a simple weeknight meal.

Switch up your classic spaghetti bolognese pasta night with my hearty and cozy gnocchi bolognese. It's great for a quick and easy dinner, with fresh flavors and aromatic spices. This potato gnocchi recipe is comfort food at its finest!

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi are Italian potato dumplings. They're a soft, tender, and chewy type of pasta, typically paired with a tomato based sauce, butter sauce, or pesto.

Traditionally, gnocchi dough is made with flour, egg, and mashed potato; however, many store-bought brands are made without egg.

Ingredients

  • Gnocchi: Use store-bought gnocchi or make it from scratch at home!
  • Olive oil: To make this recipe dairy free, I swapped the butter with extra virgin olive oil.
  • Soffritto: This Italian holy trinity is a mixture of carrots, celery, and onion and is the base for the homemade bolognese sauce.
  • Garlic: Fresh is best!
  • Ground beef: I typically use 80/20, but feel free to use what you prefer.
  • Tomatoes: This recipe calls for both tomato paste and crushed tomatoes.
  • Seasoning: We'll be using bay leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning.
  • Fresh basil: I love topping this dish with fresh herbs like basil. It's optional but highly recommended!

How to make gnocchi bolognese

The full directions for how to make gnocchi with bolognese sauce are in the printable recipe card below.

  1. In a large dutch oven or skillet, warm oil over medium heat.
  2. Cook vegetables until soft tender.
  3. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
  4. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  5. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.
  6. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, and bay leaves.
  7. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a large stock pot.
  8. Add cooked gnocchi to bolognese sauce, stir to combine, and enjoy!

Variations

  • Make vegetarian or vegan gnocchi bolognese by swapping the ground beef with plant based meatless crumbles, chopped mushrooms, or by simply leaving the meat out.
  • Try cauliflower gnocchi in place of traditional gnocchi for a low carb meal.

Time saving tips

  1. Instead of chopping, blitz vegetables in a food chopper!
  2. Meal prep the bolognese sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, toss gnocchi in boiling water and have dinner on the table in 5 minutes.

Serving suggestions

Gnocchi bolognese is incredibly versatile! Serve with dairy free dinner rolls, dairy free bruschetta, brussels sprouts, green beans, zucchini scarpaccia, or your favorite side dish.

How to store leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce, if needed.

Gnocchi bolognese is incredibly freezer friendly! Once prepared and cooled completely, transfer to a freezer safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight then reheat as desired.

Related recipes

Try these delicious pasta recipes next:

  • Dairy Free & Egg Free Meatballs
  • Dairy Free Fettuccine Alfredo
  • Dairy Free Shrimp Scampi
  • Tahini Pasta
  • Lemon Pasta
  • Dairy Free Hamburger Helper

Gnocchi Bolognese

Author: Jenna Urben
This easy gnocchi bolognese recipe combines soft, pillowy gnocchi with a rich, meaty sauce. It comes together in 30 minutes and is perfect for date night, sunday supper, or a simple weeknight meal.
5 from 43 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • Stock pot

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 medium carrot diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup water or stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 16 ounces gnocchi
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh basil for garnish
Prevent your screen from going dark while you're cooking!

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or skillet. Add diced celery, carrot, and onion. Cook until veggies are soft tender.
  • Add ground beef and let cook, breaking it apart until fully browned. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.
  • Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water or stock, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large stock pot filled with water to a boil. Cook gnocchi according to package directions, about 2 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water then drain.
  • Add cooked gnocchi to bolognese sauce and stream in reserved water as needed if the mixture is too thick. Cook for an addition minute or so, taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Serve immediately garnished with fresh basil.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce, if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 19gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 533mgPotassium: 723mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2087IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 7mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @theurbenlife on social!

More Easy Dairy Free Recipes

  • Vegan Mushroom Tacos
  • dairy free and egg free meatballs with pesto
    Chicken Pesto Meatballs
  • dairy free eggless buffalo chicken meatballs
    Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
  • dairy free and egg free teriyaki meatballs
    Egg Free Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
830 shares
  • Facebook
  • Email

About Jenna Urben

Jenna Urben is the recipe developer, content creator, and storyteller behind The Urben Life. She has over 10 years experience adapting family favorite meals to fit allergy-friendly diets. Join Jenna as she shares delicious dairy-free recipes that are easy to follow with plenty of tips and alternatives.

5 from 43 votes (43 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, I'm Jenna!

Welcome to The Urben Life! Here you’ll find hundreds of simple recipes that are dairy-free and egg-free. I believe that allergy-friendly food can be easy to make and flavorful. Let’s make something delicious together!

More about Jenna

New Recipes

  • dairy free chicken meatballs
    Dairy Free and Egg Free Chicken Meatballs

  • Vegan Pasta Primavera

  • Marry Me Chickpeas

  • Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana

Reader Favorites

  • Dairy Free and Egg Free Waffles

  • Kale Crunch Salad

  • Dairy Free and Egg Free Meatballs
    Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Meatballs Recipe

  • Dairy Free Beef Stroganoff

  • Dairy-Free Overnight Oats

  • Thrive Market Review

Footer

↑ Back to top

More

  • Contact
  • Work With Me
  • Blogger Resources
  • Shop My Kitchen
  • Privacy Policy

Featured On

Connect

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube

The Urben Life © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.