Creamy Gnocchi with Chicken, Bacon and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
This hearty one-pan pasta features tender potato gnocchi tossed in a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce with crispy bacon, seasoned chicken cutlets, and fresh spinach. The combination of cream cheese, Parmesan, and chicken stock creates a luxurious sauce that coats every piece of gnocchi. Perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner that feels restaurant-quality, this dish balances savory bacon, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and mild spinach for a well-rounded meal that's ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 ounce bacon
- 1 ½ ounce sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 unit yellow onion
- 2 clove garlic
- 10 ounce chicken cutletschicken thighs1:1
more flavor and moisture
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8.8 ounce gnocchipenne pasta1:1
similar texture
- 4 ounce cream sauce base
- 4 tablespoon cream cheese
- 3 tablespoon parmesan cheese
- 1 unit chicken stock concentrate
- 5 ounce spinach
- 2 teaspoon cooking oil
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- 1
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450 degrees
- 2
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil
- 3
Wash and dry all produce
- 4
Heat a large dry pan over medium-high heat and cook bacon until crispy, turning occasionally
- 5
Transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate, cool, then roughly chop
- 6
Wipe out pan
- 7
Halve, peel, and finely dice onion
- 8
Peel and mince or grate garlic
- 9
Finely chop sun-dried tomatoes
- 10
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with half the thyme, salt, and pepper
- 11
Heat oil in medium ovenproof pan over medium-high heat
- 12
Cook chicken until browned but not cooked through
- 13
Transfer pan to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through
- 14
Transfer chicken to cutting board
- 15
Add gnocchi to boiling water and cook until tender
- 16
Reserve gnocchi cooking water, then drain
- 17
Heat oil in bacon pan over medium-high heat
- 18
Cook onion until browned and softened
- 19
Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, cook until fragrant
- 20
Reduce heat to medium
- 21
Stir in reserved gnocchi water, cream cheese, cream sauce base, stock concentrate, Parmesan, thyme, and sugar
- 22
Cook stirring until sauce begins to thicken
- 23
Add spinach, gnocchi, butter, salt and pepper to sauce
- 24
Turn off heat and stir until spinach wilts and butter melts
- 25
Season with salt and pepper
- 26
Slice chicken crosswise
- 27
Divide gnocchi between plates and top with chicken, bacon, and remaining Parmesan
Tips
If your pan isn't ovenproof, transfer the browned chicken to a baking dish before roasting in the oven.
If the cream sauce becomes too thick while cooking, add splashes of the reserved gnocchi cooking water to thin it out.
Make sure to reserve enough gnocchi cooking water before draining as it helps create the perfect sauce consistency.
Good to Know
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in airtight container
Chicken can be seasoned and bacon cooked up to 1 day ahead
Serve immediately while hot with extra Parmesan cheese
Common Mistakes
Don't overcook the bacon or it will become too hard and bitter
Reserve gnocchi water before draining to avoid having to thin sauce with plain water
Don't overcook chicken in the pan since it finishes cooking in the oven
Substitutions
FAQ
Can I make this ahead of time?
The components can be prepped ahead, but the dish is best assembled and served fresh since the gnocchi and sauce are optimal when hot.
What if I don't have an ovenproof pan?
Transfer the browned chicken to a baking dish before putting it in the oven, then continue with the recipe as written.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
This dish doesn't freeze well due to the cream sauce and gnocchi texture changes, but leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3 days.