My Baked Gnocchi with Sage and Cheese Sauce is a delicious departure from the sometimes heavy mac and cheese. A comforting dish of pillowy soft gnocchi bathed in a creamy, two-cheese sauce that’s flavored with natural earthy sage.

Lifting a spoonful of gnocchi from a cheese sauce with lots of cheese strings

This dish is sure to warm you up from the inside out! For such a cheese-laiden dish, it is actually surprisingly light. That’s due to the soft, homemade gnocchi. Of course, you can also use your favorite store bought gnocchi instead.

You could almost call it gnocchi mac and cheese, which is what I like to refer to it as. Whatever you do call it, you will be calling its name with love and affection!

This really is the easiest, cheesiest baked gnocchi recipe that you’ll ever find. It’s like a gnocchi Alfredo! You don’t need to pre-boil the gnocchi because it cooks in the cheese sauce while it bakes in the oven. 

Baked gnocchi from overhead and a closeup showing the flecks of fresh sage

Best cheese for Baked Gnocchi

When it comes to the choice of cheeses, my favorite is Italian Fontina for this recipe as it is a delicious cheese that melts very nicely. White cheddar, gruyere or any of your favorite, good melting cheese, however, will work. And don’t forget – Parmesan cheese is also a must!

A silver tray of freshly made gnocchi

How to Make Homemade Gnocchi

I always have a container of fresh, homemade gnocchi in my freezer. If you’re feeling adventurous, I have an easy tutorial, step-by-step and video guide. You can see that here > How to Make Gnocchi. You won’t believe how easy it really is.

Is gnocchi pasta or a potato?

It’s not either, it’s an Italian dumpling. But you will usually any gnocchi dish listed under ‘pasta’ dishes on menus and such.

Baked gnocchi in cheese sauce viewed from overhead with a serving spoon

Gnocchi around the world

It’s not only a dish served in Italy, gnocchi are served in France where they are known as ‘gnocchis à la parisienne’, in Croatia they are called ‘njoki’ and in South America, they’re called ‘nhoque’. 

Cheese sauce without milk

What you will notice in the cheese sauce recipe is that I added chicken or vegetable stock, this is called this a ‘veloute’. Bechamel is made with milk or cream. Using stock is agreat way to add extra flavor to the cheese sauce.

A black round baking dish filled with freshly baked gnocchi in cheese sauce with bubbly brown bits on the top
What does ‘gnocchi’ mean?

The word ‘gnocchi’,  derived from the Italian word ‘nocchio’, means a knot  in wood. If you want to pronounce it like an Italian it’s basically nee-o-kki.

If you’ve made this Baked Gnocchi with Sage and Cheese Sauce, please leave a star rating. If you have a question or comment, you can leave it in the box below – I love to hear from my readers!

Yield: 4

Baked Gnocchi with Sage and Cheese Sauce

Bubbly with a brown top, cheese sauce with fresh sage and gnocchi

A comforting dish of pillowy soft gnocchi bathed in a creamy, two cheese sauce flavored with earthy sage.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup (236 ml) chicken stock or vegetable stock, warmed
  • 1 cup (236 ml) whole milk
  • Small pinch of salt to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (90 grams) Fontina cheese, grated
  • 1 cup (90 grams) Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
  • 1 pound (453 grams) gnocchi (store bought packaged or frozen)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and whisk until flour turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the warm stock and milk, continue to whisk until it thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, nutmeg and sage.
  3. Add the fontina and Parmesan cheese and stir with a spoon until melted. Stir in the gnocchi (no need to pre-boil) and transfer to a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes until the top is bubbly and golden.
  4. Serve warm topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

4 ounces

Amount Per Serving Calories 244Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 51mgSodium 411mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 8g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.