Pour frozen gnocchi into a ceramic baking dish and 3 simple pantry items to get a meal so delicious your friends will think you catered it!

This 4-ingredient oven gnocchi is the kind of dish I reach for on nights when the sun is dropping behind the cornfields and I’m too tired to fuss, but still want something that tastes like I worked all afternoon. Frozen gnocchi go straight from the bag into a ceramic baking dish, then you pour over three simple pantry staples and let the oven do the rest. It’s the sort of practical, no-nonsense comfort food that would have fit right in on my mother’s Midwestern table—hearty, creamy, and just fancy enough that your friends will swear you must have had it catered.

Serve this creamy baked gnocchi with a simple green salad—leaf lettuce or mixed greens tossed with a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness. Warm dinner rolls or a slice of crusty bread are perfect for swiping up the extra sauce around the edges of the dish. A side of roasted vegetables, like green beans or broccoli, fits the farmhouse feel and can roast on the rack below while the gnocchi bakes. If you enjoy wine, a light white such as Pinot Grigio or a soft red like a basic table Merlot pairs nicely without overpowering the gentle, cheesy cream sauce.

Servings: 4

1 (16–18 oz) bag frozen potato gnocchi (do not thaw)

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a medium ceramic baking dish (about 2-quart size) with a dab of oil or a quick spray so the gnocchi don’t stick.

Pour the frozen gnocchi straight from the bag into the ceramic baking dish and spread them into an even layer. There’s no need to thaw or boil them first—this is part of the beauty of the recipe.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the marinara sauce and heavy cream until the mixture is smooth and a soft pink color. Stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella.

Pour the creamy tomato mixture evenly over the frozen gnocchi, using a spoon to nudge the gnocchi so the sauce seeps down and coats as much as possible. It doesn’t have to be perfect; the oven will help everything mingle.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella evenly over the top of the sauced gnocchi, making sure to reach the corners so you get those nice browned bits along the edges.

Cover the ceramic dish tightly with foil and place it on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes to let the gnocchi steam and cook through in the sauce.

After 20 minutes, carefully remove the foil (watch for steam). Return the uncovered dish to the oven and bake for another 10–15 minutes, or until the gnocchi are tender when pierced with a fork, the sauce is bubbling around the edges, and the cheese on top is melted and starting to turn golden.

If you like a deeper browned top, you can switch the oven to broil for 1–3 minutes at the end, watching closely so the cheese doesn’t burn.

Remove the dish from the oven and let the gnocchi rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. This short rest helps the sauce thicken a bit and keeps anyone from burning their tongue on the first bite.

Spoon the baked gnocchi into warm bowls and serve straight from the ceramic dish, family-style, letting everyone admire the bubbling sauce and browned cheese.

You can nudge this simple pantry-style bake in several directions without making it complicated. For a little extra flavor, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning or a pinch of dried basil and oregano over the top with the cheese. If you like more cheese, add a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan along with the mozzarella for a saltier, nuttier finish. A handful of frozen peas or a cup of drained canned mushrooms can be stirred into the sauce before baking if you want to sneak in some vegetables without changing the spirit of the recipe. For a meatier version, scatter cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, ground beef, or shredded rotisserie chicken over the gnocchi before you pour on the sauce—just be sure any meat you add is fully cooked and still hot or promptly chilled from earlier in the day, not left out on the counter. If you prefer a lighter sauce, you can use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but avoid using milk alone, as it may separate or become watery in the oven. Always keep the gnocchi frozen until you’re ready to assemble; do not thaw them on the counter, as they can become gummy and may not cook evenly. Leftovers should be cooled, covered, and refrigerated within 2 hours and eaten within 3–4 days; reheat until steaming hot all the way through. When broiling at the end, keep the oven door cracked and your eyes on the dish, as cheese can go from golden to burnt in a hurry.