Description
A rich and comforting one-skillet meal featuring pillowy potato gnocchi, tender chicken, and a creamy pesto sauce topped with melted parmesan and mozzarella cheese. The gnocchi cooks right in the sauce for minimal cleanup and maximum flavor!
Ingredients
For the Dish:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped (I love sweet onions for this!)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc – please don’t use cooking wine)
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 cup pesto (use one you really love!)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (from a block, not the shaker!)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Set your oven to 375°F and move the rack to the top third of the oven. This positioning helps the cheese get beautifully golden and bubbly!
Melt the butter in your deep oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it softens and starts to get those lovely light brown edges. Your kitchen is going to smell AMAZING right about now.
Stir in the minced garlic and let it cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant (don’t let it burn!). Then pour in that gorgeous white wine and let it bubble away for about 30 seconds. You’ll hear that satisfying sizzle – that’s the sound of flavor being created!
Pour in the heavy cream, then add the pesto and Italian seasoning. Stir everything together until it’s smooth and well combined. The sauce will be a beautiful light green color and smell absolutely heavenly.
Stir in the gnocchi and cooked chicken, making sure everything is well coated in that gorgeous sauce. Let it heat through for 1-2 minutes, but keep an eye on it – you don’t want the sauce to get too thick at this stage. If it starts looking tight, add a splash more cream to loosen it up.
Remove the skillet from the heat (this is important – we don’t want the cheese to get greasy!). Sprinkle the freshly grated parmesan evenly over the top, then cover everything with the shredded mozzarella. Don’t be shy – we want full coverage!
Pop that beautiful skillet into your preheated oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. The cheese should be melted and starting to brown around the edges. Want it extra golden? Turn on the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes, but watch it like a hawk – broilers are fast and furious!
Let the dish rest for 5 minutes (I know it’s hard to wait, but this helps everything set up). Sprinkle with fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Don’t overcook the garlic – It should be fragrant but not browned. Burned garlic tastes bitter and will affect the whole dish.
Keep your heat at medium – Too high and your cream might break; too low and nothing will caramelize properly.
Use a rotisserie chicken – This is a huge time-saver! Just shred or chop the meat and you’re good to go. Leftover grilled chicken works beautifully too.
Check your skillet handle – Make sure it’s truly oven-safe (no rubber or plastic parts) before it goes in the oven. I learned this the hard way once… let’s just say my smoke alarm got a workout!
The wine matters – Use something you’d actually drink. “Cooking wine” from the grocery store is loaded with sodium and tastes terrible. A decent, inexpensive bottle of white wine will work perfectly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop to Oven
- Cuisine: Italian-American