This baked gnocchi is an easy sheet pan dinner featuring soft and crispy gnocchi and tomatoes that’s ready in just 30 minutes.
Can you bake gnocchi instead of boiling it?
Yes! Baking gnocchi is an ideal cooking method because it allow the gnocchi to become crispy on the outside while remaining soft and tender on the inside.
Boiling store-bought gnocchi can sometime be a bit tricky as shelf-stable gnocchi tends to become mushy when boiled if you’re not careful.
Tossing a package of store-bought gnocchi on a sheet pan with some vegetables and drizzling it with olive oil is an easy, nearly hands-off dinner.
Including tomatoes that burst and release their juices on your sheet pan allows the gnocchi to absorb their flavor and creates a ready-made tomato sauce.
All around deliciousness!
Does gnocchi need to be boiled before baking?
No, to make baked gnocchi you do not need to boil the gnocchi before baking.
In this recipe, the cherry tomatoes are sliced in half in order for them to quickly release their juices.
The juice from the tomatoes is enough to help the gnocchi cook through to the middle while also creating a tomato sauce for serving.
What should the texture of gnocchi be?
Gnocchi should be soft when cooked and feel firm but not mushy.
Additionally, gnocchi is delicious when slightly crispy on the outside either from pan searing or baking in the oven.
The ideal texture of gnocchi is often described as pillow-like. It’s easier to achieve this type of texture with hand-made gnocchi from a restaurant or to make it yourself at home.
Packaged shelf-stable gnocchi is more convenient, however the texture is more dense and gummy (a redditor humorously and accurately described the texture as “rubber bullets”.)
That’s the reason why I prefer baking store-bought gnocchi over boiling it.
Baking allows the gnocchi to achieve the ideal soft, firm and crispy texture all at once without the risk over overcooking it until gummy and mushy.
Ingredients
To make this tomato baked gnocchi recipe, you’ll need just a few easy-to-find ingredients. You can also add additional vegetables to your sheet pan if your heart so desires.
Gnocchi: This recipe calls for packaged shelf-stable potato gnocchi. The kind that you’ll find in vacuum packs, sometimes next to the pasta, or sometimes in the refrigerated section. This type of gnocchi is already fully cooked and just needs to be reheated either by boiling, pan frying or baking. I have not tried this recipe with frozen gnocchi and fresh handmade gnocchi wouldn’t work well.
Aromatics: One medium onion, finely diced, and two cloves of garlic, minced, create the flavor base of this recipe.
Red pepper: I love roasted red pepper so one small diced red pepper adds an additional layer of flavor.
Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes cook quickly and release a lot of juices onto your sheet pan. They’ll also start to char a little bit on their skins, adding even more flavor.
Oil: A generous glug of olive oil is necessary to allow the gnocchi to brown and crisp on the outside during the roasting process.
Spice: I like a sprinkling of red pepper flakes to add a touch of heat to this recipe. It’s optional and you can leave it out if you don’t want any spice.
Salt: To season.
How to make baked gnocchi
Making baked gnocchi is as easy as tossing all the ingredients onto a sheet pan and throwing it in the oven for half an hour. But let’s go through the steps:
Prep: The prep work for this recipe involves opening a package of gnocchi and dicing up an onion, red pepper, and two cloves of garlic.
I like to cut the cherry tomatoes in half so that they start releasing their juices right away. This helps the gnocchi to become tender through to the middle.
Toss: Place the gnocchi, onion, red pepper, tomatoes and garlic on a large sheet pan.
Use a spoon to mix all the ingredients together.
Drizzle over 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over some red pepper flakes, if using, and salt.
Give it another good stir to coat all the ingredients in olive oil.
Bake: Place the sheet pan in the oven heated to 425 f / 220 c and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
I stir the pan once at the halfway mark.
I bake it until the gnocchi is golden brown on the outside with and feels crispy when you run a knife over it.
Some of the cherry tomatoes will have a bit of char on them but take the pan out if you think that they are beginning to burn.
Give the baked gnocchi a good stir to coat them in the tomato juices and serve hot.
Substitutions and variations
Vegetables: The tomatoes are important for making the sauce but you can toss other vegetables onto the pan if you have space: zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, chickpeas, etc.
Herbs: Feel free to sprinkle over some dried oregano, basil or parsley before roasting. Or sprinkle over fresh herbs after you take the pan out of the oven.
Dairy: This is a vegan recipe as written but for a creamy element you can dollop over some store-bought or homemade vegan ricotta or grate over some vegan Parmesan cheese.
Pesto: Stirring through some vegan basil pesto while serving would be delicious.
FAQs
Packaged gnocchi can be cooked in several different ways. Boiling is one way but you can also pan fry, bake or roast packaged gnocchi. You don't need to boil gnocchi before baking it.
Gnocchi will get mushy when it is overcooked. If boiling it, pay careful attention to the cooking time indicated on the package. You can avoid mushy gnocchi by baking it.
Shelf-stable gnocchi is gnocchi that is packaged and vacuum sealed in order to stay good for a long time. You usually find it in the supermarket next to the dried pasta although some supermarkets might place it in the fridge. It’s a great ingredient to keep in your pantry for a quick weeknight meal.
The principal ingredient of pasta is semolina flour, while the principal ingredient of gnocchi is potatoes with wheat flour added to act as a binder.
Packaged shelf-stable store-bought gnocchi is usually vegan but be sure to read the ingredients carefully. Homemade and frozen gnocchi often contain eggs and are therefore not vegan.
Make ahead and storage tips
You can prep this meal ahead of time by chopping the onion, garlic, tomatoes and red pepper and keeping them in airtight containers in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days although it will dry out a bit.
You can reheat baked gnocchi in the microwave and add an additional drizzle of olive oil to help revive it a bit.
This recipe is not ideal for freezing.
How to serve baked gnocchi
Gnocchi is very filling and this baked gnocchi makes for a hearty main dish.
Sprinkle over some fresh basil or parsley, if desired.
It goes great served with a side of dressed arugula / rocket or a side salad.
You can also throw a second pan of vegetables into the oven to roast while the gnocchi is baking: roasted asparagus, broccoli, or green beans for example.
Any type of bread: garlic bread, crusty bread, garlic knots, breadsticks, etc. And I like a small plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side to dip my bread in!
Baked Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 clove of garlic minced
- 1 small red pepper small diced
- 20 oz (575 grams) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 package (18 oz / 500 grams) gnocchi
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- a pinch of red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 f / 220 c.
- Place the diced onion, garlic, red pepper, halved cherry tomatoes and gnocchi on a sheet pan.
- Give it a mix to combine everything then drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle over the salt and red pepper flakes. Stir well to coat the gnocchi in the oil.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once at the halfway mark.
- The gnocchi should be soft on the inside and golden brown on the outside and feel crispy when you run a knife over it. Some of the cherry tomatoes will be beginning to char but take it out of the oven if you think they are starting to burn.
- Give it another mix to coat the gnocchi in the tomato juices and serve.
Méabh says
This was really delicious! I made a big tray and had it for a few lunches throughout the week at work. It reheats well in the microwave if you put a damp paper towel over it and only give it a minute. I added frozen broad beans to mine and topped it with some toasted seeds for some extra crunch!