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Cheesy baked gnocchi bolognese is the perfect Sunday dinner. This bolognese is paired with tender gnocchi and baked in the oven with mozzarella cheese rendering a hearty cheesy Italian dinner that is sure to impress. It’s become a staple in our home and one of my absolute favorite recipes to make!
GOOD homemade bolognese is very easy to make and incredibly delicious. The only real hurdle in this recipe is giving the sauce 1.5-2 hours to gently simmer until it’s rich and thickened. I promise if you follow this recipe to a T, you will create one of the most delicious homemade sauces you ever tasted.
Looking for more delicious gnocchi recipes? Try my pesto gnocchi recipe and my cheesy baked gnocchi.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- gnocchi: bolognese works great served with any kind of pasta. My favorites are pappardelle and rigatoni.
- Ground beef and sausage: I like to use a 50-50 mix but you can use all beef or all pork if you prefer. 85% lean beef is the best balance and fat and flavor. Try spicy Italian sausage for a warming spicy twist (perfect for winter). Many recipes also call for optional 4-5 ounces of chopped pancetta in addition.
- San Marzano Tomatoes: look for imported tomatoes from Italy (D.O.P Certified) for the best results. The other common option is “San Marzano-style tomatoes”, which are often grown in California. San Marzano tomatoes are rich and flavorful and the absolute best canned tomato for sauces.
- Whole milk: use whole milk for its higher fat content. This holds up best to simmering. Milk adds texture and richness and is one of the secret signature ingredients in bolognese.
- Beef or chicken stock: stock adds flavor and body. Beef stock is preferred but chicken stock is fine too.
- Yellow onion: I prefer yellow onion but white onion works well too. Another delicious twist would be substituting for 2-3 shallots.
- Celery and carrots: cut lengthwise first and then dice. I prefer my veggies to be finely chopped so they add to the overall flavor and texture without you noticing.
- Dry white wine: look for a dry wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. This is for deglazing the pan and freeing the caramelized flavors. The alcohol will burn off when simmering. You can also use dry red wine.
- Fresh basil: I love fresh basil but you can also use fresh parsley. Both of these ingredients are optional. Do not use dry spices for best results! Make basil pesto with anything leftover.
- Garlic: garlic is an optional ingredient but I love the flavor it adds to homemade sauce. My favorite way to prepare is with a microplane so it’s very fine/pureed.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1.
Melt butter over medium heat in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add garlic and onion. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in celery and carrots, simmering for 3-4 minutes until softened.
Step 2.
Increase heat to medium and add ground beef/sausage. Season all over with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and no longer pink. About 5 minutes. Use the tip of a wooden spoon to break up the beef and pork into the smallest chunks possible.
Step 3.
Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (image 3a). Simmer until evaporated/mixture is dry, about 5 minutes (image 3b).
Quick Tip
Don’t mistake the fat content for wine. There will still be some fat left in the pan however it will be thicker than wine.
Step 4.
Add tomatoes, crushing with a wooden spoon into smaller chunks. Add milk, beef stock, and chopped basil. Mix until incorporated and reduce heat to low.
Step 5.
Let simmer on the lowest heat setting so the sauce is just simmering. Simmer for 2-3 hours, uncovered, stirring every 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened (image 5a). You can use a spoon to skim some of the fat off the top if desired but I recommend you leave it. Stir to mix the fat with the sauce (image 5b). Adjust with salt if needed.
Quick Tip
The sauce is ready when you can run a spoon through it and the bottom remains clean. If it collapses on itself or pools with liquid, simmer longer.
Step 6.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and boil until they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes. Strain and add the gnocchi to a 9-inch cast iron skillet along with a few heaping cups of bolognese. Mix until fully incorporated. Top with mozzarella and bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese has fully melted. Finish with a quick broil for a little golden char! Serve immediately garnished with chopped basil and freshly grated parmesan.
Expert Tips
- I typically make bolognese in a large Dutch oven. It’s best for cooking beef and simmering large quantities of sauce. You can also use a large high-rimmed saucepan.
- It’s important to very finely dice the celery, carrots, and onions. It improves the flavor and overall texture. My favorite hack is using shredded carrots and chopping them further. It’s an easy way to quickly finely chop carrots. If you have a food processor, you can quickly dice the veggies.
- The sauce should simmer for about 2 hours. This tenderizes the meat, thickens the sauce, and allows the flavors to meld together. Bolognese should not be runny or loose.
- The meat should be very finely broken down and almost granular. Use the top of a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat as much as possible. A beef and pork combo is my favorite.
- If you can’t find ground Italian sausage, use Italian sausage in the casing and squeeze it out.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Baked Gnocchi Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 4 ounces mozzarella pearls, for topping
- 1/2 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
- 28 ounce can San Marzano Tomatoes, juices included
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add garlic and onion. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in celery and carrots, simmering for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Increase heat to medium and add ground beef/sausage. Season all over with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and no longer pink. About 5 minutes. Use the tip of a wooden spoon to break up the beef and pork into the smallest chunks possible.
- Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer until evaporated/mixture is dry, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, crushing with a wooden spoon/spatula into smaller chunks. Add milk, beef broth, and chopped basil. Mix until incorporated and reduce heat to low.
- Let simmer on the lowest heat setting so the sauce is just simmering. Simmer for 2-3 hours, uncovered, stirring every 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. You can use a spoon to skim some of the fat off the top if desired but I recommend you leave it. Stir to mix the fat with the sauce. Adjust with salt if needed. The sauce is ready when you can run a spoon through it and the bottom remains clean. If it collapses on itself or pools with liquid, simmer longer.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and boil until they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes. Strain and add the gnocchi to a 9-inch cast iron skillet along with a few heaping cups of bolognese. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Top with mozzarella and bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese has fully melted. Finish with a quick broil for a little golden char! Serve immediately garnished with chopped basil and freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I know I’ve made this before. But now I’m NOT seeing the mozzella listed in the recipe!!!
fixed it thanks!
Loved it! Easy enough and very tasty. I did have to switch from a skillet to a pot half way through because I ran out of room. Overall, I would make it again and my family loved it!
Whoops good call. I’ve updated the recipe. You add when you add in the beef. Good luck – this is one of my favs!