Frozen meatballs and dried gnocchi cooked in a creamy sauce made from sautéed onions and garlic, vegetable stock, cream, mozzarella and lemon. Garnish with your favourite fresh herbs for an easy midweek meal.
Depending on how much time I have, I love making my own meatballs. But more often than not, I'm time-poor and dinner needs to get on the table quickly! That's why I love this easy meal for One Pot Creamy Meatballs and Gnocchi. It's incredibly tasty, ready in 30 minutes and so filling. Plus, I can make it from scratch at 5pm without even defrosting the meat - amazing!
My kids love meatballs. If you and yours do too, check out my easiest hack meal ever for Meatball Subs. Or, for another crowd-pleasing meatball and pasta one pot, be sure to check out my Creamy Pesto Orzo and Meatballs.
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Ingredient notes:
- Meatballs: I used these Angel Bay frozen meatballs, but you could use any type.
- Gnocchi: You can use either fresh or dried gnocchi in this recipe. For ease and affordability I used dried gnocchi.
- Mozzarella: While I do love using stringy mozzarella in a recipe like this, it is a luxury item. I often make this with grated Tasty or Colby cheese which works just as well.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for three minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for two minutes more. Add the frozen meatballs and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water, then pour in to deglaze the pan.
Simmer the meatballs in the stock for five minutes, stirring occasionally then add the gnocchi. Pour in the cream, then stir everything together to combine. Let it simmer for five minutes or until the gnocchi is cooked through and the sauce has thickened up.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest then season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter over the mozzarella and once it has melted, serve scattered with fresh herbs.
Recipe FAQs:
Of course! You can use either store-bought, pre-made meatballs, or make your own from mince. I have a great recipe on my website for pork mince meatballs.
Yes it could. Simply substitute the regular gnocchi and meatballs for gluten free alternatives. As always, ensure your processed ingredients, like your vegetable stock are gluten free.
This dish tastes great on its own. However, to compliment the creamy flavours, I like a to serve a side of rocket, tomatoes or mesclun with a zingy vinaigrette.
Storage:
Store any leftover meatballs and gnocchi in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot.
This dish can also be frozen. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up three months. Defrost completely before reheating.
Top tips:
I love to have a bag of meatballs in the freezer at all times. They are such a great go-to for a quick midweek meal.
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One Pot Creamy Meatballs and Gnocchi
Meatballs and gnocchi cooked in a creamy sauce made from onions, garlic, cream, vegetable stock and mozzarella. Served with fresh chives or parsley.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 500g store-bought meatballs, frozen
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 500ml boiling water
- 400g dried gnocchi
- 1 cup cream
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 100g mozzarella, grated
- Fresh chives and parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for three minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for two minutes more.
- Add the frozen meatballs and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water, then pour in to deglaze the pan.
- Simmer the meatballs in the stock for five minutes, stirring occasionally then add the gnocchi.
- Pour in the cream, then stir everything together to combine. Let it simmer for five minutes or until the gnocchi is cooked through and the sauce has thickened up.
- Stir in the lemon juice and zest then season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter over the mozzarella and once it has melted, serve scattered with fresh herbs.
Notes
- You can use either store-bought, pre-made meatballs, or make your own from scratch. Just make sure the meatballs are cooked through before you add the gnocchi to the pan in step 3.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 578Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 795mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 21g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Sarah says
Not sure what happened but I ended up with more of a soup than a nice creamy sauce, so I would definitely reduce the amount of liquid for the stock if I was to make it again. Still delicious though!
Kristy says
Wish I'd seen this comment earlier, I ended up with a thin soupy mix instead of a nice creamy sauce too. Still delicious
Melissa says
The trick to a thicker sauce is letting it simmer longer with the gnocchi. It was soupy at first but thickened the longer it simmered. I also added some frozen mixed peas and carrots at the end for a one pot meal.
VJ cooks says
Sounds delicious. Thanks for the feedback.
Elle says
So good, this recipe is going on my dinner rotation.
VJ cooks says
Awesome. Thanks for the feedback, Elle.
Yazmin says
Made this last night, exactly to your recipe, and wow! Loved it, turned out perfect with a delicious sauce. Loving your recipes, this is another great one. Many thanks
VJ cooks says
That's awesome. I love this recipe too, such good comfort food. Thanks for your feedback, Yazmin 🙂
Kaylee says
Absolutely love this recipe
I kind of went rogue and combined this one with the mushroom gnocchi you have, so I end up doing 500g of mushrooms after the onion cooks well, and I use 1.5 cups of broth
Also I would use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I used the recommended amount of lemon juice the first time and it ruined the flavor, don't recommend that.
Michelle Smith says
I loved the flavor of this dish, after reading the comments I was careful about how much lemon juice I added, I did half of the amount and was very happy with that. Also it is very thin, so if your impatient like me and don’t want to let it simmer…do less liquid