Creamy Lamb and Feta Gnocchi is a one-skillet dinner that comes together in under an hour using store-bought gnocchi, ground lamb, canned-friendly fresh tomatoes, and crumbled feta. The lamb and feta do most of the flavor work, so the ingredient list stays short. It reheats well, which makes it genuinely useful beyond the night you cook it.
Why this recipe works
Two things matter here. First, browning the lamb properly — leaving it undisturbed in the pan long enough to get real color — builds the savory base the whole dish depends on. Stir it too early and you get gray, steamed meat with flat flavor. Second, the feta goes in off the heat, after the gnocchi is added. That timing keeps it from fully melting into a grainy mess; instead it softens just enough to coat everything while still holding some texture and tang. Those two steps are what separate a good result from a bland one.
Troubleshooting
- Sauce is watery: Fresh tomatoes release a lot of liquid. If the pan looks soupy after adding them, turn the heat up to medium and let it reduce for a few minutes before adding the gnocchi. Don’t cover the pan at this stage.
- Gnocchi turned mushy: Store-bought gnocchi overcooks fast — 2 minutes is usually enough. Pull them the moment they float, drain immediately, and don’t let them sit in hot water. They’ll continue softening once they hit the warm lamb sauce.
- Lamb tastes greasy: Ground lamb can be fatty. After browning, tilt the pan and spoon off excess rendered fat before adding the tomatoes. Leaving it all in makes the finished dish heavy rather than rich.
- Feta too salty overall: Feta varies a lot by brand. Taste the lamb sauce before adding the feta, and hold back on any extra salt until after it’s stirred in and you’ve tasted again.
- Herbs lost their freshness: Mint bruises and darkens quickly once chopped. If you’re portioning this into containers for later in the week, skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish — and add fresh herbs only when you reheat individual servings.
Creamy Lamb and Feta Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 500 grams gnocchi
500 grams ground lamb (minced lamb)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - crushed
1 medium lemon
3 medium tomatoes - chopped
200 grams feta cheese - crumbled
1 handful mint - roughly chopped
1 handful parsley - roughly chopped
1 dash salt
1 dash ground black pepper
Instructions
- spoon of olive oil over low heat in a frying pan with some salt and pepper. It should take about 5 minutes in total.
- Turn the heat up and crumble the lamb mince in. Give it a quick mix round to combine the onion, garlic and mince, and then leave in the pan to brown. Once browned, mix again in the pan until thoroughly browned all over.
- Add your tomatoes and lemon juice, give it another quick stir and turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Start cooking the gnocchi as per pack instructions (simmer for 2 to 3 minutes). When the gnocchi is cooked, put your feta, mint and parsley in with the lamb and stir it around. Drain the gnocchi, and put in with the lamb, feta and herbs. Combine, and serve.
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I make this ahead and store it for several days?
Yes — it keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in airtight containers. Store the lamb and gnocchi together; the gnocchi will absorb more sauce as it sits, so add a small splash of water when reheating in a pan over medium-low heat to loosen it back up.
Can I use frozen gnocchi instead of fresh?
Frozen gnocchi works fine — cook it straight from frozen according to the package directions, which usually adds about a minute to the simmer time. Drain it well before adding to the lamb, since frozen gnocchi tends to hold more water.
What internal temperature should the ground lamb reach?
Ground lamb should reach 160°F (71°C) — use an instant-read thermometer if you’re unsure. In practice, fully browning the mince in a hot pan until no pink remains gets you there, but the thermometer removes the guesswork, especially when you’re cooking a larger batch.
More mince recipes to try
- Mediterranean Lamb Feta Pie
- Spicy Calabrian Lamb Ragù
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Fragrant Lamb Coconut Stew
