Easy Lamb Ragu Gnocchi Bake

This lamb ragu gnocchi bake is a rich ground lamb pasta topped with mozzarella cheese and baked to meaty, saucy, cheesy deliciousness. Have this lamb pasta bake on the dinner table in under an hour for a hearty comfort meal.

No ratings yet

Print Pin

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 50

Servings:

Calories: 564kcal

Author: Capri Lilly

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 small eggplant cut into small cubes
6 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 pound ground lamb
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt and black pepper as desired
Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
16 ounces gnocchi 1 package
1 bunch basil about 3 tbsp chopped
4 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 oz package Small mozzarella balls (or cheese of choice)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese grated on top when serving

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add diced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
Then add the diced eggplant. Season generously with salt. This helps soften the eggplant and release the moisture while cooking. Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until eggplant has softened. Eggplant is highly absorbent so you may need to add 1-2 tsp of cooking oil to the pan to prevent the eggplant from sticking or burning.
Add the ground lamb, along with the spices. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir lamb until the fat starts to soften and the meat begins to break down. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the lamb begins to brown and sizzle in its own fat, 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the tomato sauce and chopped parsley. Mix well, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the gnocchi according to package instructions.
Preheat the oven to 375°F
When the gnocchi is cooked, drain it, then add it to the ragu. Mix in the fresh basil and stir to combine all the ingredients.
Carefully transfer the lamb ragu gnocchi into an oven-safe dish. Place the balls of mozzarella (or cheese of choice) evenly throughout the dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until bubbling and golden
Serve your lamb gnocchi with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh bits of basil, oregano, or thyme leaves if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

goodfoodbaddie.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used to make the recipe. For more information read our Nutritional Disclaimer.

Nutrition