Are you curious what to serve with gnocchi? There are so many options but here are our favorites.
Gnocchi is one of my favorite Italian dishes. It is a small, soft dumpling that is sometimes confused as pasta.
Often made of potato flour that adds to its density, you may see it served instead of pasta. If I see it on a menu, I pick it as my main dish more often than anything else.
It has a soft but slightly dense and chewy texture like a dumpling or tortellini.
Many things go with gnocchi which makes it extremely versatile. If you’re thinking that you will be putting together an Italian dinner, here are a few ideas for what to serve with gnocchi.
1. Garlic Sauce
This is the perfect sauce to serve with gnocchi. This recipe is easy and quick to make.
The best part is that it’s full of flavor. It will complement just about every veggie that you may put on the side.
This is our garlic Alfredo sauce recipe and it is so rich and creamy. If you want a decadent sauce for your gnocchi then this is the right sauce for you.
This is our homemade Italian family recipe that has been passed down for generations now.
This is so popular that it is widely thought to be the best sauce for gnocchi.
This is a slow simmered marinara sauce. This recipe is made with celery, carrots and onions. It has so much rich and robust tomato flavor.
If you are wanting a red sauce for gnocchi then give this one a try.
This is a flavor rich side for gnocchi that doesn’t take long to cook. When you roast Bok Choy you are basically wilting it.
This recipe has some fantastic flavor that will compliment whatever sauce that you choose for your gnocchi.
The recipe includes lemon, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil.
This is a simple recipe with great flavor. All that you need to do is cut up the cauliflower into small florets.
Then you toss it with oil and spices and then roast it in the oven.
It will have that slight crisp on the outside but still be tender inside.
This recipe only has four ingredients. While it may be short on ingredients, it is not short on flavor.
All that you have to do is steam the green beans, add in butter, lemon and minced garlic.
I feel the texture of al dente green beans really is a perfect side for gnocchi.
Broccoli is a favorite Italian side dish so of course it pairs with gnocchi oh so well.
The smoky flavor of this blackened broccoli will be a big hit on your dinner table.
If you are looking for a quick and easy side dish this is a great choice. You only need a few ingredients and 20 minutes.
You can do this with broccoli rabe and broccolini too.
These buttery garlic mushrooms are everything that you want out of a side for gnocchi.
You can make this side dish in just 10 minutes but it is so delicious that people will think you must have cooked them for hours.
If you haven’t tried cheese stuffed tomatoes as a side dish for gnocchi
you are missing out.
These tomatoes are stuffed with ricotta cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley and other amazing flavors.
You can stuff these ahead of time and then bake them right before dinner is to be served.
This is a simple yet elegant side dish. It is beautiful on the platter and I think that when people see it they don’t think much about it.
Then they try it and they suddenly realize the flavor is spot on and the herbs are perfect.
Make more than you think that you need because this dish will go fast.
11. Arugula Salad
This is a simple salad that is light and airy. It balances the richness of the gnocchi well because of that.
The peppery flavor of arugula is nice against a hearty sauce such as Alfredo sauce and gnocchi.
12. Sautéed Spinach
Sautéed spinach is bright green and looks stunning on the plate. It is a lovely side for gnocchi no matter what sauce you choose.
Keep in mind when making sautéed spinach that it takes a lot more spinach than you expect to make a full serving.
When tomatoes are roasted they get this incredible deep flavor about them. The same is true for zucchini.
When the zucchini is properly roasted it gets these crispy edges to it and it is so delicious.
If you are looking for a unique idea of what to serve with gnocchi, give this simple air fryer recipe a go.
This is one sexy side dish. It seems like you can wrap anything in prosciutto and it is automatically beautiful and delicious.
Well, that is true for asparagus too. If you worry that someone may not like asparagus, serve them this recipe to change their mind.
These carrots are made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme, minced garlic, and salt and pepper.
Yep, they really are that simple and that fresh thyme is a real star in this recipe.
If you serve this with gnocchi you will have a bright side dish full of flavor.
16. Roasted Radishes
Roasting radishes brings out their natural nutty sweetness.
This is a surprising side dish that most people don’t tend to see served as a side for gnocchi but they should.
Season the radishes with olive oil, lemon, rosemary and lemon zest. Then roast them in the oven.
This is a fantastic side for gnocchi that is filled with beautiful veggies. There is so much green in this salad and it is gorgeous on the plate.
This salad is flavored with ginger, turmeric, coriander and lemon.
Be prepared for your dinner guests to rave about this dish.
18. Grilled Leeks
This grilled leeks recipe is seasoned with lemon and topped with parmesan cheese.
If you don’t have a grill or don’t want to deal with it, pull out your cast iron skillet and cook the leeks in that.
This recipe is so easy to make and is a refreshing side dish. It is served cold and it is bright and colorful.
Between the bright tomatoes, the green cucumbers and the purple onion not only will you have a ton of flavor but it is also a great way to sneak in a few vegg
The bottom line
American pronunciation is NYOW-kee, with British calling it NO-kee but Andi grew up calling it NYAW-KEE (and she was raised with Italian famiglia, so maybe she’d know for sure).
How do you pronounce it?
Hopefully, you are thinking about how to make something delicious and inspired to go alongside your gnocchi dinner.
I love simple gnocchi with garlic butter and topped with parm, but that also means I can pick a complex side.
I didn’t include this here because it’s more of an appetizer than a side dish, but man, these Goat-Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes ARE TO DIE FOR.
They disappear off the table so fast.
Let us know if you have your favorites, especially if they aren’t here and we can add them to this list.
What To Serve With Gnocchi (19 Sides)
These are 19 Sides For Gnocchi that will be a good resource for your next Italian meal where gnocchi is the highlight!
Ingredients
- Garlic Sauce
- Alfredo Sauce
- Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Oven Roasted Bok Choy
- Crispy Roasted Cauliflower
- Garlic Green Beans
- Blackened broccoli
- Garlic Mushrooms
- Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes
- Marinated tomatoes
- Arugula Salad
- Sauteed Spinach
- Roasted Zucchini With Tomatoes
- Oven Roasted Thyme Carrots
- Roasted Radishes
- Artichoke, Green Pea And Lemon Salad
- Grilled Leeks
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
Instructions
- Pick two or three side dishes.
- Follow the directions.
- Mangia! (Italian for “Eat up!”)