Baked Gnocchi with Chicken, Zucchini & Mozzarella
Twenty minutes. That is the gap between raw ingredients on a cutting board and a baking dish of gnocchi, chicken, and melted mozzarella coming out of the oven. The gnocchi gets pan-fried first for a golden edge, then folded into a quick tomato sauce with sautéed chicken and zucchini, and finished under a layer of cheese at 400°F.
781 calories and 45 grams of protein in a single serving. The kind of dinner that looks like it took longer than it did.
Ingredients
- zucchini 1
- onion 0.5
- garlic 1 clove
- chicken breast 3 oz
- olive oil 1.5 tbsp
- gnocchi 5 oz
- diced tomatoes 7 oz
- Italian seasoning 2 tsp
- mozzarella, low-moisture part skim 2 oz
Method
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (210°C).
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Cut the zucchini and chicken breast into cubes. Chop the onion and garlic.
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Heat half of the oil in a pan. Add the gnocchi and cook for 3 minutes until it starts to brown. Set the gnocchi aside.
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In the same pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the chicken breast and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the zucchini and cook for 3 minutes. Finally, add the diced tomatoes and Italian herbs and simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
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Add the gnocchi to the pan with the sauce and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Slice the mozzarella and arrange it on top. Bake for 12 minutes until the mozzarella is melted.
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Serve the gnocchi casserole on a plate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Scatter a few fresh basil leaves on top right after baking. The heat wilts them just enough to release their aroma without losing the brightness that balances the melted mozzarella.
Simmering tomatoes in olive oil does more than build sauce flavor. A 2005 trial found that cooking tomatoes with oil boosted the amount of lycopene your body actually absorbs by 82%. Heat breaks down the tomato cells, and oil carries the lycopene through digestion. But when you layer mozzarella on top, the calcium pushes back. A separate crossover trial found that calcium interferes with the transport system that moves lycopene into your cells. One cooking step boosts a nutrient. The next one partially blocks it.
Tomato + Oil = More Lycopene · DOIWhy This Works
Behind this recipe
Does gnocchi have more carbs than regular pasta?
Gram for gram, gnocchi and regular pasta are close in total carbs. The difference is in the source: gnocchi is potato-based, which gives it a higher glycemic index (around 68) compared to wheat pasta (around 45). But the 45g of protein and 36g of fat in this meal blunt the blood sugar response. A meta-analysis of 14 trials found that glycemic index does not independently predict fat loss outcomes when calories are matched.
Read the full evidence reviewIs 45 grams of protein too much for one meal?
The old idea that your body can only use 30 grams per meal has been thoroughly debunked. A 12-hour isotope tracer study showed the body continues building muscle from protein well beyond that number. Forty-five grams in one sitting from chicken, mozzarella, and gnocchi is well within what your body processes efficiently.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I use fresh gnocchi instead of shelf-stable?
Yes. Fresh gnocchi cooks faster, so skip the pan-frying step and add it directly to the sauce in step 5. Fresh gnocchi is softer and will not hold up as well to browning. The baking time stays the same.
