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This creamy Tuscan chicken and gnocchi recipe has the bright, bold flavors of sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy sauce that coats each bite of tender gnocchi and chicken. This one dish dinner is ready in 30 minutes!
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I was a mom with two kids before I had ever even heard of gnocchi and now I’m basically on a mission to serve gnocchi at every dinner party and family gathering I have, because people just should not live without gnocchi in their lives.
Not sure what gnocchi is? That’s okay, I’ve got you!
Gnocchi are a type of dumpling that’s made with potatoes, flour, and eggs. They’re like a tender, pillowy cross between pasta and mashed potatoes and when I tell you that I could eat my weight in gnocchi, I’m not kidding.
We’ve shared our recipe for chicken gnocchi soup and gnocchi casserole, but it’s time to bring out our Tuscan cream sauce and really make things pop.
The cream sauce in this recipe is bursting with the zippy flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, made extra creamy with Parmesan, and loaded with garlic. You might consider drinking the sauce with a straw.
Ingredient Notes:
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Chicken – I’m using boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe but you could also use boneless chicken thighs instead! It’ll get chopped into smaller pieces.
Seasoning – You’ll season the chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
Olive Oil – For cooking the chicken.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes – You’ll want to use the jarred variety that are packed in oil. You’ll need a bit of the oil as well.
Garlic & Shallot – These will get cooked up with the chicken and sun-dried tomatoes to add lots of great flavor to the dish!
Potato Gnocchi – You can use any brand you’d like for this recipe as long as it is a shelf-stable dry gnocchi. You do not need to boil them before using – it’s a one pot dinner!
Chicken Broth – For cooking the gnocchi.
Heavy Cream – This is what makes this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe so creamy! You could try using half and half, but the sauce won’t be as rich.
Baby Spinach – We add spinach to everything. It generally doesn’t add flavor, wilts down into small bits, and packs in some nutrition. My kids love spinach in dishes like this, mostly because they don’t really notice it. 😉
Parmesan – Shred your own for the best results. Don’t use the powdered kind in the green can here.
What We Love About This Recipe:
- This is perfect comfort food that’s made in one dish in just 30 minutes.
- There are lots of great flavors in this dish thanks to the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and shallots, and the seasoning. Plus all that cream makes a rich sauce!
- You can easily use chicken thighs in place of breasts or even swap the chicken for smoked sausage!
How to Make Chicken and Gnocchi:
Prepare: To get started you’ll want to chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Next season all sides with the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt!
Cook: Add the olive oil to a large skillet along with a tablespoon of the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. When it’s hot add the chicken breast, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots and garlic. Let the chicken, tomatoes, and other ingredients cook for around 6 minutes while stirring occasionally, until the chicken has mostly cooked through.
Gnocchi: Now you can add in the gnocchi, chicken broth, and heavy cream to the skillet and stir it all up until combined. Cover up the pan and let it cook for 5 minutes.
Helpful Tip!
There is no need to boil the dried gnocchi before adding it to the skillet! It will get perfectly tender right in the broth!
Finish: Remove the lid from the pan and add in the spinach and shredded Parmesan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the cheese has melted and the spinach has wilted. The sauce will thicken up into a rich sauce that coats everything just perfectly.
Serve: When the sauce has thickened up a bit too your liking you can remove the skillet from the heat and serve this classic creamy Tuscan chicken and gnocchi recipe while it is good and hot!
Try serving this up alongside some easy air fryer frozen breadsticks! It’ll also go well with a side salad and this homemade Italian dressing. This recipe should pair well with just about anything.
My Favorite Skillet!
Cast iron skillets are my favorite! They heat so evenly, get piping hot for searing, and nothing is better than bacon fried in a cast iron skillet.
FAQs:
You’ll want to keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last about 3 to 4 days.
Gnocchi is very similar to pasta and we generally serve it with a side salad and roasted vegetables. Something light on the side goes well with gnocchi.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes:
We really like the sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil for this recipe. You’ll use a bit of the oil to cook the chicken (hello, flavor boost), and the tomatoes are nice and flavorful.
If you only have the dry type of sun-dried tomatoes, they’ll work just as well! Just double the olive oil in the recipe and toss in the tomatoes as called for. They’ll rehydrate as they cook.
MORE One Dish Dinners:
- One Pot Spaghetti
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice
- Pork Stir Fry
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
Creamy Tuscan Chicken and Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil plus oil from jar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups chopped baby spinach
- ¾ cup shredded Parmesan
Instructions
- Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season on all sides with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt.
- Heat the olive oil along with 1 tablespoon oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes in a large skillet.
- Once hot, add the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, and garlic and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is mostly cooked through.
- Add the gnocchi, chicken broth, and cream to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Cover the pan and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the spinach and Parmesan to the skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the cheese has melted, spinach has wilted, and sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Serve hot.
Linda Miller says
A friend made this for us. Super good. Can’t wait to make it myself.
Karly Campbell says
So glad you enjoyed it!
David Cameron says
Intend to try, but could I use frozen gnocchi in this?
Karly says
I’ve never actually worked with frozen gnocchi, so I’m not sure how it differs. I’d think it would work fine though if you adjust cook time as needed.
Lorrie says
I Made this recipe using rotisserie chicken. Leftovers next day I added more chicken stock, heavy cream & more sundried tomatoes. More soupy and delicious ?. Husband wants a repeat again soon. Tnx for great recipe.
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂