Gnocchi Mac and Cheese | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

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After going-going-going for our first two weeks in Austin, I must say that this past weekend was a lesson in R&R.

We slept in — like,legitimatelysleep in— each morning. Weate tacos, tacos, and more tacos for lunch. Wesoaked up the warm Texas sunshine and went on some long walks exploring in theafternoons. We sipped frozen happy hour margaritas on patios as the sun went down in the early evenings. We stayed up spending time with new and old friends and some family members passing through town until late at night. And we took it allwonderfully — and deliciously — slow. No rushing, no hurrying, no packed calendars. Just nice and slow, like thecharming Southern drawls we keep hearing everywhere.

Which, of course, made me realize for the 1000th time howquickly I still tend to move through life. I feel like I haveslowed down significantly over the past few years, choosingto more time with people I love and lesson work, and trying to make that quality time without being distracted by alerts on my phone or looming plans ahead. But even still, I can’t help but always notice that my default is to rush, in the hopes ofsqueezingas many good things as possible into a day.

That’s the beauty of being in a brand new place, though, where everything is new and we don’t know our way around and our calendarsare wi-hi-hide open. (And notably, where we have an entiremonth to explore, versus trying to cram everything into a few days.) We have been able to take our time — quite literally — with everything. And goodness,has it felt refreshing. I apparently needed it. And I’m loving it. And I’mtrying to let myself get very,very used to it. :)

I’m happy to say that we’ve also been taking things at a slower space in our little Texas kitchen. I’m usually the queen of efficiency when buzzing right and left around my kitchen at home in Kansas City. Buttrying to navigateour way around a new kitchen has definitely slowedme down, not to mention the constant elbow-bumping and cute-dog-distracting that comes with sharing a kitchen with Cookie & Kate. I wouldn’t change a single (slow) minute, though. It has been so much fun.

And frankly,when it comes to Italian comfort food like this creamy stovetop Gnocchi Mac and Cheese, Iwant to soak up every second.

I know that we’re not officiallyin the “deep” South right now. But hey, Texas may be as close as I come for awhile. So as a little nod to Southern comfort food while we’re down here, I thought it was high time I post a new recipe for mac and cheese.

Well, minus the mac.

My favorite gnocchi from DeLalloget to play the starring role in this rich, classic, creamy stovetop version of mac and cheese! Which means that this dish will have minimal gluten if you use my favorite mini potato gnocchi. (Or which can be 100% gluten-free if you use DeLallo’s gluten-free gnocchi.) And which also means that you get to enjoy those little heavenly pillows of chewy gnocchi deliciousness with each bite. (Sorry, I don’t know why I always think of gnocchi as“heavenly pillows”…but they are.)

You can definitely make homemade gnocchi for this recipe if you insist. But I took the shortcut of using DeLallo’s delicious pre-packaged gnocchi for this recipe. I always keep a few boxes on hand in my pantry (even here in Austin!) because theyonly take a few minutesto boil and are perfect for last-minute dishes.

If you’ve never cooked gnocchi before, trust me, you’re going to love ’em. Just bring a big pot of salted water to a boil (as you would for pasta). Then add the gnocchi andwait until they rise to the surface, for about 4-ish minutes. Once they have floated to the top, just strain out the water and you’re ready to go!

While you’re waiting for your pasta water to come to a boil, let’s get started on that cheesy sauce.

I went with the classic trifecta of cheeses for mac and cheese with this recipe — sharp cheddar, fontina and Parmesan. They are the ultimate in rich, creamy, cheesy perfection. But in order for each of them to melt the smoothest, I recommend buying the cheese in blocks and then grating it yourself just before adding it to the sauce.

Once they are all grated,whisk them up with some milk, veggie (or chicken) broth, cornstarch (as a gluten-free thickener), garlic, and some salt and pepper to make your sauce.

Then once your gnocchi are cooked and ready to go, toss them with the sauce.

And the result? Well, I think you can see for yourself.

Perfectlycreamy, perfectlycheesy, perfectlygnocchi-y. Basically just perfect, if you ask me.

I usually prefermy mac and cheese fresh off the stovetop. But if you prefer the dish baked, you can pop it in the oven sprinkled with some Italian breadcrumbs to get a nice crispy crust at this point.

Otherwise, Irecommend just serving it plain off the stovetop…

…maybesprinkled with some fresh parsley or basil, or maybe even topped with an extra pinch of Parmesan if you’re feeling indulgent.

Like I said, this meal is comfort food through and through. But I promise you, it’s worth every delicious bite. And even better when enjoyed nice andslowly. Enjoy!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with DeLallo. I am a mega fan of the brand, and the story and ingredients and flavors behind their food, and all opinions are my own as always. Thanks for supporting the brands which help make this site possible!