Name: Gnocchi Alla Bava
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 lb potato gnocchi (store bought or homemade); 5 oz fontina cheese (chopped into ~1 inch cubes); 1/2 cup half-and-half ((half heavy cream, half whole milk)); salt (to taste); ground nutmeg (optional, for topping)

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This Gnocchi Alla Bava, aka gnocchi in fontina cheese sauce, is a decadent and incredibly easy dish to prepare. This recipe uses just three simple ingredients-- potato gnocchi, fontina cheese, and half-and-half cream. It only takes 10 minutes to whip this up, but it feels so indulgent and fancy.

My favorite way to serve gnocchi alla bava is with a dash of ground nutmeg on top. While it's delicious without it, I feel like the nutmeg adds that "little something" it's missing, and helps cut through the rich sauce. If you're skeptical-- try a little on the side and compare for yourself!

ingredients for gnocchi alla bava (fontina cheese, gnocchi, and half-and-half cream)

FAQ

What is Gnocchi Alla Bava?

Gnocchi Alla Bava is a simple dish of gnocchi in fontina cheese sauce, originating from the northern Italian region of Valle D'Aosta. The fontina cheese melts easily to create a decadent sauce, and this recipe has just three simple ingredients.

Gnocchi alla bava is commonly made with buckwheat gnocchi, but these are hard to find in the US. Obviously, this dish is better with homemade gnocchi. So if you're making your own gnocchi for this recipe, consider trying a buckwheat gnocchi recipe!

What is fontina cheese?

Fontina is a semi-soft, white, cow's milk cheese from the Valle D'Aosta in northern Italy. It has a rich, pungent flavor, and is known for how well it melts down into sauces.

Where to buy fontina cheese?

Your regular grocery store may stock fontina in the gourmet cheese section, but mine did not. I bought my fontina at Trader Joe's, and I highly recommend that as an affordable option. I spent less than $4 on more than enough fontina for one batch _{(prices from early 2024)}. You can also find fontina on Amazon Fresh.

What is a good substitute for fontina?

There are a number of similar cheese to look for if you can't find fontina, but they will result in a different flavor of cheese sauce. Some good options include gruyere, emmentaler, or gouda.

gnocchi alla bava, gnocchi up close on a fork

Key Tips - Gnocchi Alla Bava

Keep your fontina cheese chunks all about the same size.

The larger the chunk, the slower it will melt. So if you want your sauce to melt uniformly, try to keep your cheese chunks all about the same size.

Sub milk and cream if you can't find half-and-half.

Half-and-half is very common in the United States, but if you're elsewhere it may not be easy to find. It's just ½ whole milk and ½ heavy cream. So rather than ½ cup of half-and-half, you can use ¼ cup whole milk and ¼ cup heavy cream.

A flat whisk is the best tool for mixing the sauce.

I highly recommend using a flat whisk for this recipe (or any pan-sauce recipe). I use this flat whisk!

Don't skip the nutmeg.

While nutmeg is found in some, but not all, recipes for this dish, I really think it's worth including. The nutmeg helps cut through the rich sauce and just adds that "something extra" that the dish is missing.
If you're skeptical, try a little bit on the side and compare before topping your whole plate.

Dietary Restrictions - Gnocchi Alla Bava

This dish is naturally Vegetarian.

Make it Gluten-Free:

Substitute the gnocchi for gluten-free gnocchi, which are available from a number of national brands. Here’s one example!

A Note On Serving Sizes

Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. This gnocchi alla bava is very rich, and I've listed the serving size as ¼ of the batch. I'd recommend pairing this with something light like a vinaigrette-tossed salad. Pictured in the photos are two servings per bowl.

Gnocchi Alla Bava

This decadent Gnocchi Alla Bava, aka gnocchi in fontina cheese sauce, is SO easy and uses just three main ingredients. Top it with some ground nutmeg to take it to the next level!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 3

Cook Time 7

Total Time 10

Course Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Calories 360 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb potato gnocchi store bought or homemade
5 oz fontina cheese chopped into ~1 inch cubes
½ cup half-and-half (half heavy cream, half whole milk)
salt to taste
ground nutmeg optional, for topping

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the gnocchi. When the cheese sauce is almost ready, boil the gnocchi until they float, about 1-2 minutes.
Combine the cubed fontina cheese and the half-and-half in a pot or skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until a creamy cheese sauce forms, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with a little bit of salt. (I use a flat whisk for this step)
Toss the prepared gnocchi in the fontina cheese sauce until fully coated, then serve immediately. The water clinging to the gnocchi may thin the sauce a bit, if you want to reduce the sauce further set the pan over low heat and stir constantly until the desired texture is reached. Note, the texture will thicken upon standing.
Serve immediately, and top with a dash of ground nutmeg (optional, but recommended)!

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25 batchCalories: 360kcal

Keyword Fontina, Fontina Cheese, Fontina Cheese Sauce, Gnocchi, Gnocchi Alla Bava

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Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram, email me ([email protected]), or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!