Gnocchi Bolognese

Name: Gnocchi Bolognese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 2 tbs butter; 2 tbs olive oil; 3 sticks celery (diced); 2 carrots (large, diced); 1 brown onion (or yellow, diced); 200 g pancetta (chopped into small chunks (see notes)); 500 g beef mince; 500 g pork mince; rosemary and thyme (fresh or dried); 500 ml (2 cups) wine (white or red); 300 g tomato paste; 250 ml (1 cup) milk (full cream or whole milk); 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock liquid; 2 bay leaves; salt and pepper; 500 g gnocchi (homemade or store-bought); grated parmesan (to serve)

Jump to Recipe

My easy gnocchi bolognese recipe is the ultimate comfort food; rich, satisfying and packed with flavour.

This fuss-free dinner is loved by all the family!

This gnocchi with bolognese recipe is a super easy weeknight dinner, perfect for hungry kids and teens. A thick homemade bolognese sauce is stirred into cooked gnocchi and heated through to allow the gnocchi to absorb all the rich and delicious bolognese flavour.

Just like my beef chow mein, beef rissoles, or the always popular spaghetti bolognese, this gnocchi bolognese is one of my family's favourite easy beef recipes.

Gnocchi served with bolognese being eaten with a fork.

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

Family friendly - from fussy toddlers to hungry teens, this gnocchi bolognese recipe is popular with everyone!
Comfort food - this is the ultimate comfort food! Pillowy ricotta absorbs the flavour from the ground beef sauce, meaning you have delicious rich bolognese flavour in every mouthful!
Prefect for meal prep - the sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, then just reheat, cook the gnocchi and serve for an easy fuss-free dinner.
Feeds a crowd - the bolognese sauce makes a very big batch! You will have plenty of the sauce (at least half) leftover, and it's very useful to freeze.
Freezer friendly - store the leftover bolognese sauce in the freezer for up to 3 months, then defrost for the easiest family dinner!

What You Need

Bolognese with gnocchi is the ultimate comfort food!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Butter and olive oil - for sautéing the vegetables.
Celery and carrots - these vegetables are both diced and add flavour to the bolognese sauce.
Brown onion - or yellow onion.
Pancetta - I like to ask the deli for a 200g slab of pancetta and then chop it into small 2cm pieces. Thinly sliced packaged pancetta is fine to use but you won't have the delicious chunks that you get if you chop it yourself. Alternatively you can use diced bacon.
Beef mince and pork mince - this combination provides the best flavour in this delicious bolognese.
Rosemary and thyme - you can use fresh or dried herbs.
Wine - either white wine or red wine, both work equally well in this recipe.
Tomato paste - adds the rich flavour and makes the sauce a deep red colour.
Milk - I recommend using full cream or whole milk.
Chicken stock liquid - use a store-bought liquid chicken stock or make your own by adding 1 tsp of chicken stock powder to every 1 cup of water.
Bay leaves - add extra flavour to the bolognese sauce, discard them before serving.
Salt and pepper - to season.
Gnocchi - I highly recommend making your own homemade ricotta gnocchi using my recipe that you can find here. However, you can also use store-bought fresh gnocchi for convenience.
Grated parmesan - to serve.

Ingredients needed to make the recipe measured out and placed in individual bowls.

Equipment Required

Two saucepans - one for cooking the bolognese in, and one for cooking the gnocchi.
Large frying pan - to heat the bolognese sauce with the gnocchi.

Step By Step Instructions

It takes just 20 minutes to prepare my simple bolognese sauce, but the longer it simmers, the better the flavour!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Step 1 - Make The Bolognese Sauce

Heat the butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the diced celery, carrot, onion and pancetta and sauté until the vegetables have softened.

The onion, celery, carrot and pancetta in a saucepan.

Turn the heat up to high and add the pork mince and beef mince. Stir occasionally (avoid stirring too much or you'll end up with a lot of liquid released). Cook until the mince has browned and all of the liquid has evaporated.

TIP: To check if all of the liquid has evaporated - using a wooden spoon, make a gap in the base of the pot and see if there is any liquid there after a few seconds.

Add the rosemary and thyme sprigs.

Pork mince, beef mince and herbs added to the saucepan.

Pour in the wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

Red wine being poured into the meat and vegetables in the saucepan.

Stir through the tomato paste.

Add the milk and stir through.

The milk added to the ingredients in the pan.

Pour in the chicken stock liquid.

Chicken stock added to the bolognese in the pan.

Add the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low.

The stirred bolognese before being left to cook for an hour.

Cover with a lid and allow to cook slowly for a minimum of 1 hour (up to 2-3 hours). TIP: The longer you cook the bolognese sauce, the better the flavour.

Stir occasionally during the cooking time.

Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves.

Remove half of the bolognese sauce from the pot and place into a large frying pan.

The remainder of bolognese sauce can be stored in the fridge or frozen for later use.

Half the bolognese sauce in a frying pan.

Step 2 - Boil The Gnocchi

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and cook. As the gnocchi rise to the surface (approximately 1-2 minutes), remove the pieces with a slotted spoon.

Gnocchi cooking in a pan of boiling water.

Step 3 - Combine Gnocchi & Bolognese Sauce

Place the gnocchi straight into the frying pan with the bolognese sauce. Toss to coat the gnocchi in the sauce.

Ricotta gnocchi mixed with bolognese sauce in frying pan.

Serve gnocchi bolognese immediately with grated parmesan cheese.

Close up of bowl of gnocchi bolognese sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Expert Tips

For maximum flavour - it is best to cook the bolognese for longer (up to 2-3 hours) as the flavour develops and intensifies beautifully with this extended cooking time.
My bolognese sauce recipe makes a BIG batch! You will have plenty of the sauce (at least half) leftover to freeze.
Storing - store any leftover bolognese sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before consuming.
Freezing - bolognese sauce freezes, defrosts and reheats perfectly making it a great option for a quick midweek freezer dinner. Freeze bolognese sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost and reheat before consuming. However gnocchi, once cooked, should not be frozen.

FAQs

Why add milk to bolognese sauce?

Adding milk makes a richer flavoured bolognese sauce and gives it a lovely silky texture.

How do you know when the gnocchi are cooked in the water?

The gnocchi will float to the surface when they are cooked.

Can you overcook gnocchi?

Yes, you can overcook gnocchi. If gnocchi overcook, they become heavy and dense.

Close up of gnocchi bolognese in a bowl being eaten with a fork.

For more budget friendly beef mince dinners like my gnocchi bolognese, here are some of our most popular recipes:

WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Facebook or Instagram. And if you love baking, then please come and join my Facebook cooking club group or subscribe to my YouTube channel.