This easy creamy chipotle gnocchi recipe has a satisfying kick of smoky spice and is ready in 20 minutes! Keep it simple or add veggies or protein; this is a great base recipe to build on for a flavorful dinner, which can be as spicy or mild as you wish!
Introducing the Chipotle Alfredo Sauce of dreams…
We love a genre busting dinner around here, and this one was born out of a need to use up the chipotles I still had hanging around after making these tinga tacos. I was just adding chipotles to any old thing, and one evening they found their way into a creamy alfredo style sauce being mixed with fried gnocchi and wowzers…. it was a keeper.
I obviously still had my harissa cream sauce on the brain, because it’s a pretty similar idea, only this time it was the chipotle’s turn to show up and turn the dish pink, with an equally delightful smoky sweet twist.
This is the kind of base recipe you can do any old thing with. I like to add some greens and call it a day, but you could also be adding other veggies or protein. You could lean into the Italian side of the dish with basil and roasted eggplant, you could lean into the Mexican side with black beans and corn. No rules here so have fun with it!
Oh and guess what else? It is ready in around 20 minutes…
This will vary based on how long you take to prep and whether you’re using other ingredients, but it can be really fast. Watch me go…
What to know about the ingredients…
- I pan fry packaged dry gnocchi for this dish, but any gnocchi would work. Fresh, dried or frozen. I like to make mine crispy by pan frying or air frying, but boiled is fine too. If you want to try sweet potato gnocchi or cauliflower gnocchi here, I see no reason why that wouldn’t work.
- For the cheese, you’re looking for parmesan, pecorino, asiago or another Italian hard cheese. If you need this recipe to stay vegetarian, look for an Italian hard cheese without animal rennet (which is traditionally used in parmesan).
- You want the canned chipotles in adobo sauce if at all possible. These are very easy to find in the US, but need to be ordered from Amazon or tracked down at a Mexican retailer if you’re in the UK or elsewhere in Europe. If you really can’t get them, two teaspoons of chipotle paste (easy to find in the UK) + a teaspoon of smoked paprika will give you a smoky spicy kick and a similarly subtle pink hue. The flavor will differ but give it a taste test and adjust as needed – you can’t go too wrong.
- I used a meatless chicken style broth for this recipe (I don’t know why it looks so dark in these photos but that is what it is 🤷♀️). I do prefer that over vegetable broth in this recipe, but it’s no biggie, anything will work; it’s just to add a little baseline flavor, and I find that if I use a normal (i.e. not low sodium) broth, I don’t need any salt.
- You can use basil, cilantro (fresh coriander) or a combination of both. You ideally want a good handful of the herbs – I was running low the day I photographed this recipe so use more than me if you can.
- Spinach or kale makes a nice easy addition for texture and nutrition. If you don’t have any fresh leaves, you could use frozen spinach (thawed and drained well to ensure the green liquid doesn’t discolor the sauce).
- I personally love to use red onion here for the bright bursts of color, but any color of onions is totally fine!
- If you have a lime or lemon available, cut it into wedges for serving – this is delicious with a little squeeze of juice but it’s optional.
Q: How spicy is this?
There’s a kick to it, but it’s fairly subtle and mild once tossed with the gnocchi. If you want it properly hot, you can either increase the chipotles (3-4 chilis instead of 2) or add some chili flakes or cayenne / hot chili powder.
What to do with the rest of the canned chipotles in adobo sauce
If you’re opening a can to make this, you will have quite a few left over. Here are some ideas:
- Make tinga sauce for tacos.
- Freeze the rest in baby food containers (1-2 chilis per container).
- Add them to Black Bean Soup.
Spicy Chipotle Alfredo Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 18 oz (500 g) package of dried or fresh gnocchi
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 canned chipotles (and a spoonful of adobo sauce), finely chopped
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable stock / broth
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy (double) cream
- ½ cup (50 g) parmesan, pecorino or other Italian hard cheese, grated
- 1-2 cups (50 g) baby spinach or kale, chopped
- 1 small bunch cilantro (fresh coriander) or basil, chopped
- Optional: lemon or lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or deep saute pan, heat a little olive oil over a low – medium heat. Saute the onions until they are soft, then add the garlic, sugar and chipotles + a scoop of the adobo sauce (as much as you can spare). Saute for a couple more minutes until the chipotles are soft. You can use the spoon to smoosh them up a little more.1/2 red onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp brown sugar, 2 canned chipotles (and a spoonful of adobo sauce)
- Pour the stock into the pan and simmer over a low heat, partially covered, for about 5 minutes until it's slightly reduced.1/2 cup vegetable stock / broth
- Add in the cream and cheese and allow it to simmer until the cheese has melted in and the sauce is warmed through.3/4 cup heavy (double) cream, 1/2 cup parmesan, pecorino or other Italian hard cheese
- Add the basil/cilantro and spinach and simmer until it's just starting to wilt. Then let the sauce sit, covered, off the heat while you prepare the gnocchi.1-2 cups baby spinach or kale, 1 small bunch cilantro (fresh coriander) or basil
- Pan fry the gnocchi. In a large, deep frying pan, heat a thin layer of olive oil over a low-medium heat. Add the gnocchi to the pan and cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes until lightly browned on each side.Note that you can boil or even air fry the gnocchi if you prefer.18 oz package of dried or fresh gnocchi
- Add the gnocchi into the pan with the sauce and mix through.
- Serve immediately, with lemon or lime wedges and/or additional cheese for topping.Optional: lemon or lime wedges for serving
