Sheet Pan Cherry Tomato Gnocchi
Add this cherry tomato sheet pan gnocchi to your list of 30-minute meals. Packaged gnocchi is one of the best things you can buy at the grocery for quick and easy vegetarian dinner recipes that are tasty and filling. The high temperature of the oven roasts the gnocchi and tomatoes on the pan.
For more easy gnocchi recipes, try my Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Zucchini & Squash, Red Pepper White Bean Skillet Gnocchi, Baked Gnocchi with Mushrooms & Baby Spinach or Sheet Pan Asparagus Mushroom Gnocchi.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It starts with store-bought gnocchi. This is one of those incredibly convenient packaged ingredients that you should keep in your pantry next to boxes of pasta in different shapes. These potato dumplings can make a fantastic dinner with a lot of veggies.
The prep and cook time is 30 minutes total. All you have to do is toss the gnocchi and tomatoes with olive oil and spices on a baking sheet and then roast them in the oven. There is no cutting since you leave the tomatoes whole. That’s why this is one of my go-to sheet pan dinners.
Roasted tomatoes are the sauce too. As the tomatoes roast, they become soft and juicy. After you take the pan out of the oven, you stir the tomatoes and gnocchi together. As you do this, the tomatoes will fall apart and end up dressing the gnocchi in a very light sauce.
What is Gnocchi?
Many cultures have a version of a potato dumpling. Gnocchi is from Italy. You usually find boxes of them grouped with the dried pastas at the grocery, but technically they aren’t pasta. They are made with potatoes, flour, egg yolks, cheese, salt and pepper. When I’m feeling inspired, I like to make my own from scratch including Sweet Potato Gnocchi, but most of the time I buy it packaged.
You can boil gnocchi, and it turns out soft and pillowy. When you roast it, like this recipe, you get gnocchi that’s more crispy on the outside, especially on the sides that make direct contact with the hot metal of the pan.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Gnocchi: The recipe calls for one package of gnocchi. It’s fine to use a brand that’s gluten free or to use cauliflower gnocchi.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes will work for this recipe. I find that cherry tomatoes are more juicy, so they will “sauce” the gnocchi more.
- Dried seasonings: The recipe has a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stick with dried and don’t use minced fresh garlic because it will burn in the oven.
- Parmesan cheese: I sprinkle on thin shavings after I stir the gnocchi and tomatoes together, You can use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler to make those paper-thin slices.
- Basil: For fresh herbs, basil is the obvious choice with the tomatoes and other flavors. I keep the small leaves whole and tear the larger ones into pieces.
How To Make Cherry Tomato Sheet Pan Gnocchi
1. Stir the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Toss the gnocchi and tomatoes with the oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread them across the pan.
3. Roast until the gnocchi is lightly browned and the tomatoes are juicy and wrinkled. This will take 22-25 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and gnocchi on the pan. Some of the tomatoes will break apart, and they will coat the gnocchi.
4. Garnish with Parmesan and basil.
Serving
Enjoy the gnocchi while it is warm right after it comes out of the oven and you stir it all together. I love a salad on the side such as a simple Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette or an Italian Chopped Salad. You can also serve it with a loaf of crusty bread.
Storage & Leftovers
Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave or in a 350-degree F oven. Another option is to chop the gnocchi and eat it cold in a salad with mixed greens. These are leftovers that you should not freeze.
FAQs
Yes. The heat of the oven will cook the gnocchi completely, so you do not need to boil it first.
When you roast gnocchi on a sheet pan in a 450-degree F oven, it will take 22-25 minutes. If you bake gnocchi stirred into tomato sauce in a skillet or a casserole dish at 400 degrees F, it will need 25-30 minutes like in this Mushroom Tomato Baked Gnocchi.
Did you make this gnocchi recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below. Thanks!
Sheet Pan Cherry Tomato Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound shelf stable or fresh gnocchi
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- Shaved Parmesan for serving
- Fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- On a sheet pan, toss the gnocchi and tomatoes with the olive oil mixture. Spread them into a single layer across the pan.
- Roast the gnocchi and tomatoes for 22-25 minutes. The gnocchi should be lightly browned on the edges and the tomatoes should be juicy, soft and wrinkled.
- Garnish with Parmesan and basil.
This was very tasty and easy to make. I didn’t have enough fresh tomatoes so I added a can of drained fire roasted tomatoes. I also took another reviewer’s suggestion and added an onion. Next time I think I will add asparagus too. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!
Wow, the flavors that were absorbed into the gnocchi were amazing! I replaced the salt with Lawry’s Garlic Salt, used ~3/4 tsp chili flakes and sub’d fresh oregano for the dried since I had it on hand. I kept everything else the same and can’t get over how perfectly seasoned and flavorful the gnocchi turned out!
So simple but so delicious! I added 2 small heads of broccoli & half a red onion to my sheet pan for some extra veg and doubled the amount of oil & spices. I also used fresh garlic and added 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Will definitely be adding this recipe to our weekly roster!
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I make a very simple dish with just olive oil, gnocchi, cherry tomatoes, basil and sausage but it is heavy on the basil. After not being able to find fresh basil at any of the nearby grocery stores I did a quick search for something I could still do with gnocchi and cherry tomatoes. So happy I found this! Followed the directions exactly except of course had to omit the basil at the end. Also should add I was very nervous to cook the gnocchi in the oven having never done that and it was great. Agree with another reviewer to give it all a toss halfway through. Will definitely add this to our dinner rotations. Love a quick easy sheet pan recipe!
Do you have t cook the gnocchi in boiling water first or use it straight out the packet ?
You don’t need to boil the gnocchi first. It can go straight from the packet to the sheet pan.
So tasty and easy! I am always looking for recipes that are easy to make on a weeknight.
We doubled the oil and spices, just because it seemed like it needed a bit more. And you would definitely want to stir it once or twice while cooking, otherwise the gnocchi gets dried out. But we will be making it again for sure, thank you!
Delicious! I have never made gnocchi like this before but definitely will make again.
Excellent