The Best Store-Bought Gnocchi You Can Buy (Perfect for Weeknight Dinners)

Potato gnocchi and I have a complicated relationship. I’ve waxed poetic about them—literally, in my culinary school application essay—but that level of devotion does not extend to a weeknight. Cooking potatoes, ricing them, kneading, shaping, rolling each dumpling along the tines of a fork is undeniably satisfying when you have hours to spare, but midweek dinners are about survival with flavor, not a kitchen dusted in flour.

That's where store-bought gnocchi comes in, the unsung hero of quick, comforting skillet dinners.

Pillows of Potato Perfection

Gnocchi are small Italian dumplings, a type of pasta most famously made from mashed potatoes, flour, and eggs (known as Gnocchi de Patate). Some variations use semolina for a firmer bite (Gnocchi alla Romana) or ricotta for a lighter cloud-like softness (Gnocchi di Ricotta). French-Italian Gnocchi Parisienne, made with choux pastry, is tender and custardy.

Potato gnocchi pair perfectly with anything from nutty browned butter and sage to hearty tomato, mushrooms and sausage, or a creamy sauce.

The truth is that some store-bought gnocchi disappoint. They can be gummy, heavy, or carry an oddly sour or overly sweet note thanks to preservatives. The wrong gnocchi can turn the hopeful comfort of a weeknight dinner into dense disappointment. Finding one that cooks quickly, holds its shape, and tastes good is a game changer.

De Cecco: Your Weeknight Savior

For me, that's De Cecco Potato Gnocchi. Fresh but shelf-stable, these little dumplings are perfect for those nights when the refrigerator looks like a post-apocalyptic wasteland and the pantry is your only hope. Toss a package on the shelf and forget about it for weeks, then rediscover it in a hangry craze.

While you can boil them in two minutes, these store-bought babies are practically made for skillet dinners. Skip the boil and give them a quick sear in a hot pan for golden, chewy edges, or cook them directly in the sauce for a one-pot wonder.

My go-to "dinner emergency kit" includes De Cecco and jarred alfredo or marinara. What felt like the brink of culinary collapse turns into a cozy, indulgent meal made in one humble skillet.

Find De Cecco gnocchi in the dried pasta aisle. Once opened, refrigerate for three days or freeze for months. The package serves three to four, though I'll admit I've been known to eat half myself in one sitting and still consider myself lucky if I save any for leftovers.

There's even a gluten-free version that swaps wheat flour for rice and corn flour without sacrificing the light, tender bite. With 75% potato puree, the flavor and texture remain delightfully intact.