How To Cook Prepackaged Gnocchi

Store-bought gnocchi is the answer to delicious, yet quick, dinners during the week. You get to enjoy the small bites in whatever sauce you wish, without having to make them from scratch!

The most common way to cook store-bought gnocchi is to boil the gnocchi until they rise to the surface of the water and are soft but still chewy, but there are other ways to enjoy gnocchi!

How do you cook prepackaged gnocchi? There are 3 great ways to cook prepackaged gnocchi. You could either boil the gnocchi, fry the gnocchi, or roast it in the oven. Each of these cooking methods gives the gnocchi a different texture and finish, and makes the gnocchi suited to be served with different sauces and ingredients.

To help you make the most of your store-bought gnocchi, read on to find the best ways to cook it!

Boiling Prepackaged Gnocchi

Boiling prepackaged gnocchi is a simple and quick way to prepare it, and you don’t have to be a skilled chef to pull it off successfully!

Prepackaged gnocchi needs to be cooked in already boiling water, and you need to check the sodium content on the packaging to see whether or not the gnocchi has a high salt content or not. If the gnocchi is high in salt, then do not salt the water.

Here is how to boil prepackaged gnocchi:

1. Fill a pot with water 2/3 of the way full.
2. Salt the water if the gnocchi is not high in sodium.
3. Switch the stove to medium heat and place the pot on the stove.
4. Leave the water to come to a rolling boil.
5. Add in prepackaged gnocchi to the pot, but do not add it all in at once as this could overcrowd the pan.
6. Leave the gnocchi to cook into the boiling water, keeping a close eye on them. 
7. When the gnocchi rises to the surface of the water, remove them with a slotted spoon.

Prepackaged gnocchi cooking time can vary, and it will depend on the type of gnocchi it is, whether it is dried or frozen.

Cooking time should be between 2-5 minutes, but to ensure that the gnocchi doesn’t overcook, then remove each gnocchi dumpling as it rises to the top of the boiling water.

Once the gnocchi is cooked and you have removed it from the boiling water, you can toss it with your sauce of choice and add in some vegetables and protein.

Good sauce choices for boiled store-bought gnocchi include bolognese, pesto, tomato and mushroom, and marinara sauce.

Check the packaging of the gnocchi for additional cooking tips!

Frying Prepackaged Gnocchi

Frying gnocchi is an incredible way to cook it, and instead of the sometimes stodgy and dense dumplings you get from boiling gnocchi, fried gnocchi turns out beautifully light and fluffy on the inside, and crispy on the outside.

Frying gnocchi is easy and gives you great results. You do not need to pre-cook the gnocchi, and it can be cooked from scratch in a frying pan.

Here is how to fry gnocchi:

1. Heat up a frying pan on the stove, on medium heat.
2. Add a bit of butter and oil into the pan and allow to melt.
3. Add the gnocchi into the pan and stir it occasionally.
4. Allow the gnocchi to cook in the oil and the butter until it is golden all around and is crispy on the outside.
5. Remove the gnocchi from the pan when golden and crispy.

Fried gnocchi tastes amazing on its own, and you can add in some chopped garlic before you remove it from the pan, and salt and pepper.

These simple flavors really do great with the gnocchi dumplings and butter. A few sage leaves added in before removing the gnocchi from the heat also adds such flavor!

Other sauce options for fried gnocchi include pesto, a light tomato sauce, a tomato and mascarpone sauce, melted cream cheese, or garlic mushrooms.

You can add the sauce into the frying pan with the gnocchi just before removing it from the heat, to blend the flavors together and to warm the sauce up.

Roasting Prepackaged Gnocchi

For something a little different than usual, you can roast prepackaged gnocchi. This is an easy, no-fuss way to cook prepackaged gnocchi, and the gnocchi can be cooked with other ingredients to make a delicious sheet-pan meal.

Roasting gnocchi, and tossing other vegetables into the pan along with the gnocchi, can give you a quick dinner full of flavor and texture, but without having to boil the gnocchi and cook the other ingredients separately.

One pack of prepackaged gnocchi can go a long way!

Here is how to roast prepackaged gnocchi:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place the gnocchi onto the baking sheet, along with your other vegetables of choice, such as tomatoes, onion, peppers, rosemary, garlic, etc.
4. Grind some pepper over the gnocchi and the vegetables, and drizzle it with some olive oil. Toss the ingredients together to combine the oil and the pepper.
5. Place the baking sheet into the oven and allow to roast for 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes, stir the gnocchi and vegetables, and place the sheet back into the oven for another 8-10 minutes.
7. When the gnocchi are plump and the other ingredients are cooked and caramelized, they are ready to eat.
8. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, dish up the gnocchi and vegetables, and top with some grated cheese and fresh herbs.

You can get quite creative with the vegetables and other ingredients you add to the baking sheet along with the gnocchi, as long as you ensure that the vegetables or other ingredients are given enough time to cook.

Bonus – Air Fryer Gnocchi!

If you have an air fryer in the kitchen, you know how handy it can be! You can also use the air fryer to cook up some deliciously crispy gnocchi too!

Here is how to cook gnocchi in the air fryer:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
2. Place the gnocchi into a bowl and toss it with some olive oil.
3. Once tossed in oil, place the gnocchi into the air fryer basket, trying to make sure that it is in a single layer.
4. Leave the gnocchi to cook in the air fryer for 10 minutes, removing the basket every 3 minutes to shake the gnocchi around.
5. Check the gnocchi after 10 minutes to ensure that it is cooked properly. You might need more or less time to cook the gnocchi.
6. Remove the gnocchi from the air fryer when golden and crispy and serve.

Top the gnocchi with some butter, oil, parmesan cheese, or simply serve it as is! Sauces such as pesto and marinara would also do well.

Does Prepackaged Gnocchi Need To Be Refrigerated?

Some prepackaged gnocchi needs to be refrigerated, but some do not. Fresh gnocchi that is prepackaged and sold in the store needs to be kept in the fridge.

Kept in sealed packaging and in the fridge, fresh gnocchi can be kept in the fridge for up to a month.

Dried prepackaged gnocchi can be kept in the pantry, as long as it is stored in a cool, dark area. The packaging should be unopened. Prepackaged dry gnocchi can be kept in the pantry for up to 3 months.

Once the prepackaged gnocchi has been opened, it should be kept in the fridge and used within 3 days.

How To Cook Prepackaged Gnocchi

A simple pack of store-bought gnocchi offers you so many different cooking options.

You could use the classic method of boiling the gnocchi, or you could fry it in some oil and butter, or roast the gnocchi along with other vegetables for a quick sheet-pan dinner.

Alternatively, you could also cook the gnocchi in the air fryer to crisp them up beautifully on the outside.

Cook the gnocchi one of these ways, and pair it with your favorite toppings or sauce, and enjoy!

Related Questions

Now that we’ve gone over how to cook prepackaged gnocchi, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!

Can you overcook gnocchi?

Gnocchi can be overcooked. When boiling gnocchi, and if it is boiled for too long, it might become soft, too chewy, and clumpy. If frying the gnocchi, the gnocchi can become too hard if cooked for too long.

Can you boil gnocchi and then fry it?

You do not have to boil gnocchi before frying it, but you definitely can. This helps to give the gnocchi a crispy, golden outer layer, but still, be light and chewy on the inside.

It also gives you the option to coat the gnocchi with some butter and garlic.

How do you fix sticky gnocchi?

If you are making your own gnocchi, and it has turned out too sticky, you can add in a little more flour to the dough to try and make it drier.

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