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Creamy Baked Gnocchi with Chicken and Parmesan Crisp

Baked gnocchi with chicken is quick comfort food — pillowy gnocchi baked in a rich red pepper pesto sauce with tender chicken and melted mozzarella. It’s an oven-to-table dinner that looks impressive but comes together in under 30 minutes.

Baked gnocchi with melted cheese, tomatoes, spinach, and fresh basil in a white oven dish. The dish is on a wooden table with a spoon and napkin beside it.

Nicky’s recipe notes

Keep a packet of store-bought gnocchi in the fridge or freezer for quick dinners — it lifts a simple meal and soaks up bold flavours like pesto. Swap the roasted red pepper pesto for basil pesto for a different twist.

There’s a lovely sauce under the gnocchi here, so serve with crusty bread for dunking.

Table of Contents

  • Nicky’s recipe notes
  • 📋 Ingredients
  • 📺 Watch how to make it
  • Pro Tip
  • 🍽️ What to serve it with
  • 🍲 More recipes with gnocchi or pesto
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Baked Gnocchi with Chicken Recipe

📋 Ingredients

A wooden board with ingredients for baked gnocchi with chicken: diced chicken, gnocchi, mozzarella, cream, oregano, chicken stock, red pesto, red pepper, tomato purée, oil, baby spinach, salt and pepper. The ingredients are labelled in white text.

📺 Watch how to make it

Full recipe card with detailed steps is at the end of this post.

  1. Par-bake the seasoned chicken pieces in the baking dish with a little oil.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients (gnocchi, spinach, pesto, cream, peppers, stock) and toss — the spinach will wilt and everything will combine.
  3. Top with torn mozzarella and bake until golden and bubbling. Scatter basil leaves to serve.

Pro Tip

Homemade red pepper pesto is quick to make and delicious, but a good store-bought jar works well too.

There’s a creamy pool of red pesto sauce under the gnocchi — drizzle it over each serving for extra flavour.

Overhead close up of baked gnocchi with melted cheese, tomatoes, spinach, and fresh basil in a white oven dish.

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🍽️ What to serve it with

  • Crusty bread, garlic bread or dough balls
  • Simple green salad with vinaigrette
  • Tangy marinated onions
Overhead image of baked gnocchi with melted cheese, tomatoes, spinach, and fresh basil in a white oven dish. The dish is on a wooden table with a scattering of basil leaves next to it.

🍲 More recipes with gnocchi or pesto

Square image of gnocchi and chorizo in harissa sauce in a black cast iron pan.

Quick & Easy

Gnocchi with Chorizo and Creamy Harissa Sauce

Close up of gnocchi with brown butter and sage in a pan with lemon

Vegetarian

Gnocchi with brown butter and sage

Gnocchi being cut and shaped on a wooden board. There is a fork in shot - used for rolling

Dinner

Simple Homemade Gnocchi

A white baking dish with four breaded chicken breasts in a creamy pesto sauce with roasted cherry tomatoes and basil leaves. There is a spoon resting in the top of the dish.

Chicken

Easy Baked Pesto Chicken

Square image of pesto spaghetti on a light grey plate being swirled with a gold fork. The pasta is sprinkled with baby basil leaves, toasted pine nuts and parmesan. The plate is on a light grey surface.

Pasta

Pesto Pasta Recipe

Two glass jars, one with roasted red pepper pesto and another with green pesto, surrounded by pine nuts, garlic cloves, and coarse salt on a dark surface.

Sauces and Dips

Red Pepper Pesto

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make baked gnocchi ahead?

Yes. Prepare the dish up to the step before the final bake, let the chicken cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge about an hour before baking to take the chill off, then bake and add 3–4 minutes to the cooking time. Ensure it’s piping hot throughout before serving.

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Overhead square image of baked gnocchi with melted cheese, tomatoes, spinach, and fresh basil in a white oven dish. The dish is on a wooden table with a spoon and napkin beside it.

Baked Gnocchi with Chicken Recipe

Gnocchi baked in roasted red pepper pesto with tender chicken and bubbling mozzarella — ready in under 30 minutes.
Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
4 Servings
Course:
Dinner
Cuisine:
British, Italian

Ingredients

Baked Gnocchi

  • 2 large chicken breasts (350g), chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 60 g (2 packed cups) baby spinach
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) hot chicken stock
  • 500 g (17.6 oz) fresh gnocchi (defrost if frozen)
  • 8 tablespoons (140 g) roasted red pepper pesto
  • 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream
  • 1 tablespoon tomato purée
  • 150 g (5.3 oz) mozzarella ball, torn into small pieces

To Serve

  • Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Chunks of crusty bread for dunking

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (fan).
  • Place the chicken pieces in a medium baking dish (about 30 x 20 cm). Drizzle with olive oil and toss with salt, pepper and oregano to coat.
  • Bake the chicken for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the dish from the oven. Add the baby spinach and pour over hot chicken stock. Add the gnocchi, roasted red pepper pesto, sliced red pepper, cream and tomato purée. Stir to combine — the spinach will wilt and mix into the sauce.
  • Dot the torn mozzarella over the chicken and gnocchi.
  • Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbling.
  • Serve topped with torn basil leaves and a grind of black pepper, with crusty bread for dunking.

Notes

Tip: Red Pepper Pesto

You can use a good store-bought red pesto or make a quick homemade version.

Make it vegetarian

Replace chicken with chunky courgette (zucchini) pieces and use vegetable stock. Use vegetarian mozzarella and pesto.

Nutrition

Calories: 631 kcal | Carbohydrates: 52 g | Protein: 35 g | Fat: 32 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 4 g

Nutrition information is approximate and should be used as a guide only.

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