Tomato Basil Gnocchi

This tomato basil sheet pan gnocchi recipe is so easy: there’s no boiling required! Bake it up with pesto and prepare to be amazed.

Did you know one of the easiest ways to cook gnocchi is…baked on a sheet pan? Nope, no boiling a big pot of water involved! Throw them onto a sheet pan, top with pesto and add veggies, and throw them in the oven. They bake up to a deliciously crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside texture that’s ultra delicious and so so easy. We’ve been wanting to try this method forever, so we jumped on it when Jessica Merchant offered to let us share a recipe from her brilliant new book, Everyday Dinners. This recipe is perfect for summer and totally customizable for any season. Come experience the magic!

What you need for this gnocchi recipe

Gnocchi (say it like NYOW-kee) is Italian pasta dumplings made with potatoes, egg and flour. For this recipe, we’ll be using store-bought gnocchi, easy to find at your local grocery. Sheet pan gnocchi is a dream, because instead of boiling it all you have to do is pop it on a baking sheet! There are many variations on the concept of baking gnocchi on a sheet pan: Jessica has a few seasonal variations in Everyday Dinners. Here’s what you’ll need for this simple summery version:

Packaged uncooked gnocchi: use your favorite brand! Look for gluten-free if desired. See more below!
Cherry or grape tomatoes: Use all the best summer produce, or great grocery tomatoes (hydroponic have good flavor)
Fresh basil: A must!
Basil pesto: Find your favorite purchased brand or make homemade pesto
Spices: Garlic powder oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese: For topping!

Keep reading for more about Everyday Dinners — recipe excerpted from the book with permission from Jessica Merchant

How to works: throw it all on a sheet pan!

Standard Italian gnocchi is typically boiled, then warmed in a skillet with a sauce or added to sautéed veggies. This sheet pan gnocchi is a brilliant concept where you simply throw the uncooked gnocchi onto the sheet pan with veggies and seasonings. Here’s what to note:

Throw it on uncooked: right from the package. It feels strange the first time, but the steam from the veggies and oven cooks the gnocchi right up!
It comes out soft with crisp edges. The texture comes out beautifully crisp on the outside and cooked through. Don’t expect it to be as soft and doughy as boiled gnocchi. It’s like a whole new version of itself!
Leftovers need to be re-warmed. This gnocchi recipe is best right from the oven, but you can save leftovers refrigerated. Just note that they become hard in the fridge (vs boiled gnocchi that stay doughy). You’ll need to re-warm leftovers before enjoying them!

Types of gnocchi to use in this recipe

You can use most types of gnocchi that you find at the store for this recipe. Here are some notes on what to use:

Potato gnocchi: Use any brand: we like DeLallo (in fact, DeLallo taught us to make potato gnocchi once!)
Gluten free gnocchi: Several brands also offer gluten-free gnocchi
Cauliflower gnocchi: You can use the massively popular Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi too! See the notes in the recipe below (thanks, Jessica!)
Homemade gnocchi: Don’t use homemade gnocchi in this recipe: the texture won’t hold up in the oven. Use the traditional boiling method for those!

About the book: Everyday Dinners by Jessica Merchant!

This gnocchi recipe and the sheet pan technique comes straight from Jessica Merchant’s delightful new book, Everyday Dinners. The subtitle is “Real-life recipes to set your family up for a week of success,” and my, does it deliver on that promise! This book is one of those where you look at each page and think…I want to make that! And that. And that!

Jessica is a mastermind in the kitchen: mom of two, author of the website How Sweet Eats and overall incredible human. The book is super practical yet full of fresh, inventive flavors. Some recipes we’ve got our eye on: Crispy Orange Cauliflower with Coconut Rice, Burrata Baked Ziti (I mean, burrata!), and Smashed Chili Sweet Potatoes. Congrats to Jessica on an incredible collection of beautiful, creative recipes!

Variations on this gnocchi recipe

There are so many variations on this gnocchi recipe! You can add other types of veggies that cook in 20 to 25 minutes. Just be careful to not crowd the pan: otherwise it may take a little longer to cook! If you’re adding to this recipe, also make sure to increase the seasonings accordingly. Here are some ideas for other veggies that would work well:

1 or 2 bell peppers
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
2 cups broccoli florets (cut small)
Sliced onions

When it comes out of the oven, you can also add lots of other fresh herbs: like thyme, oregano, basil, chives, or dill. What would you add to this dish?

Make it vegan / plant-based!

Last note — you can make this gnocchi recipe vegan or plant-based! Here’s what to do:

Make sure the gnocchi is vegan. Some brands’ potato gnocchi is already vegan (like DeLallo). Others sell vegan gnocchi.
Make vegan pesto. Our Vegan Pesto recipe is to die for!
Omit the Parmesan cheese. Make sure everything is salted well, and you don’t need it!

This gnocchi recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan and gluten free, see the notes in the recipe.