Dive into a meal that seems like it came from a high-end restaurant yet is crafted in the comfort of your own home. Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi features tender chicken and pillow gnocchi enveloped in a luxurious, buttery cream sauce peppered with fresh spinach. This recipe quickly becomes a family favorite, offering a perfect blend of simplicity and gourmet flair suitable for any evening.
I had prepared a meal that had my family coming back for more. The secret lies in using straightforward, quality ingredients that combine beautifully to deliver a warm, inviting dish that draws everyone to the dinner table.
What is Gnocchi Pasta
Gnocchi are delightful little dumplings made from mashed potatoes, flour, and eggs. They can be sautéed in butter or tossed in a tomato or cream-based sauce for extra richness. In this recipe, we enhance the classic gnocchi by pairing it with diced chicken thighs in a luxurious buttery cream sauce.
Ingredients
- Chicken: The chicken breast meat, cut into bite-sized pieces. This forms the protein base of the dish.
- Gnocchi: It only takes 3-4 minutes to cook. Ideal for quick meals.
- Sun Dried tomatoes: Packed in oil, these tomatoes add a complex flavor to the dish.
- Garlic: With two cloves, freshly minced garlic is essential for creating a savory cream sauce.
- Heavy Cream: This rich dairy cream makes the sauce truly heavenly.
- Seasonings: Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper all contribute to the dish’s robust flavor profile.
- Baby Spinach: Adding leaves of baby spinach to the pasta sauces is excellent as they wilt down in seconds, barely needing any cooking.
- Oregano, Thyme, Red chili flakes and Chicken broth
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
- Begin by slicing two large chicken breasts into cubes. In your favorite bowl, mix together a half cup of flour, seasoned liberally with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, ensuring to shake off any excess.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown and reach the safe internal temperature of 165º.
- Once cooked through, take the chicken out of the skillet and set it aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet, add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken broth. Then, lower the heat and add a cup of heavy cream and a cup of parmesan cheese.
- Stir frequently as you sprinkle in a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and a half teaspoon each of oregano and thyme.
- Add a pack of gnocchi to the skillet, cover, and allow it to cook for a few minutes until the gnocchi is nice and tender.
- Lastly, add the chicken back to the skillet and stir until everything is evenly coated in the delicious, creamy sauce.
Serving
Once the meal is ready dish out on a plate. Serve it with side salad, roasted broccoli and creamy garlic bread.
For More Recipes
– Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta
Storing Leftovers
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Don’t freeze it. The cream sauce will become grainy. To enjoy it again, simply reheat in the microwave until it’s steaming. This ensures your meal remains just as delightful the second time around.
Recipe Tips
- Always opt for packaged, ready-to-heat gnocchi. Using Frozen gnocchi simply doesn’t yield the same delightful texture.
- The base of the dish often starts with juicy chicken breast meat. Don’t hesitate to substitute it with boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a richer taste.
- If you’re not into spinach, it’s perfectly fine to skip it. Instead, try tossing in some Basil leave for a fresh, aromatic touch.
- One of my favorite hacks is using the oil from sundried tomatoes instead of regular olive oil.
