Sheet Pan Tomato Gnocchi

This 30-minute dinner, prepared with fresh tomatoes, is delicious any time of the year not just during tomato growing season. Sheet Pan Tomato Gnocchi is a toss-and-bake type of recipe that requires no supervision at all. If you’re hungry and in a hurry, this should be your go-to meal every single time!

Last summer we grew more tomatoes than we could eat! We didn’t plant very many tomato bushes, but just for the two of us, the plants yielded much more than we could keep up with. Sadly, it was enough to fire up the canner, but it was enough to harvest fresh tomatoes for a recipe every single day. This Sheed Pan Tomato Gnocchi was one of them. But, as previously mentioned, you can make this dish any time of the year with store-bought cherry or grape tomatoes. I can’t think of a more comforting and cozy dish.

I have not prepared many recipes with gnocchi before, and I’m not sure why that’s the case. It has such a great taste and texture. I have only ever used store-bought prepared gnocchi and I love it, so I can just imagine how great it would taste if I were to make it from scratch. Someday, I’ll give that a try, but for now, store-bought will have to do.

WHAT IS GNOCCHI?

If you’re not familiar with gnocchi, it’s basically a form of pasta made from a combination of semolina, regular wheat flour, eggs, cheese, potatoes, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, or other ingredients. Sometimes, the gnocchi is seasoned during the preparation process, but mostly the seasoning is added during the cooking process.

Once the dough is made, it’s rolled out into a long cylinder shape about half an inch in diameter. Then the dough is cut into small lengths just short of an inch long. Each length is then meticulously pressed and rolled with a fork to create the familiar ridges you see in your favourite gnocchi dish.

Gnocchi is not only limited to a pasta-type dish – although, it is my favourite way to eat it! Gnocchi works very well in soups in place of pasta. A soup with lots of broth works best because the gnocchi can cook well in the broth. I think in most cases, gnocchi is prepared much like this Sheet Pan Tomato Gnocchi – in a simple way with as few ingredients as possible.

SHEET PAN TOMATO GNOCCHI

For my particular recipe, I added lots of fresh tomatoes from my garden. They blistered and burst, which created the most delicious coating and sauce for the gnocchi. I also added lots of seasonings and a good helping of dried red chili flakes because they have such a great flavour, and I love a little bit of spice. Adding those, by the way, is completely optional!

I think this dish makes a perfect and complete meal for two people. It’s great for a weeknight dinner option because it comes together so easily and you can cook the entire dish in one pan. I don’t know about you, but if there are only a few dishes to wash after a weeknight dinner, I’m completely on board with that!

If you need to feed more, then you can simply double up on the ingredients. This recipe is completely forgiving and will allow for it. If you double the recipe, be sure to evenly distribute the mixture onto two sheet pans so that it can cook properly. And, you really want the tomatoes and the gnocchi to come in direct contact with the hot sheet pan to create brown bits, because that, Dear Reader, is flavour!

This is a hearty, home-style meal that can be on your dinner table in just a short time. Or, if you’re much like us, you can pile the gnocchi into bowls and sit on the couch with your favourite Netflix show. I can’t think of a better way to unwind after a long day at work – even if that work is in your very own garden!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Olive Oil – Use good-tasting olive oil. I prefer light olive oil, but you use what tastes good to you.
• Garlic Powder – Normally, I would use real garlic, but real garlic may burn so in this case it’s best to use garlic powder. When real garlic is burnt, it tastes very bitter.
• Onion Powder
• Oregano – Dried Oregano adds that homestyle flavour we all love. Fresh oregano leaves are great for a garnish, but not a good idea to roast them in this recipe.
• Dried Red Chili Flakes – These can be found in almost every spice rack! I love the Kirkland brand at Costco and always have a jar in my pantry. Adding the chili flakes is optional.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Gnocchi – You can use fresh or store-bought, shelf-stable gnocchi. I’m using this brand right here.
• Tomatoes – Use cherry or grape tomatoes. Do not use large tomatoes that are chopped. The tomatoes need to be whole so that they can blister and pop.
• Fresh Parsley – Chopped for garnish.
• Parmesan – For garnish and finishing. This is optional. I did not use it.

SHEET PAN COOKING

Sheet pan cooking is all the rage now, which is why I worked so hard to perfect this Sheet Pan Tomato Gnocchi recipe.  Every time I spend a few minutes on Pinterest or in my Facebook recipe groups, I see lots of wonderful, colourful photos of food that have been prepared on sheet pans.  These recipes are often referred to as ‘sheet pan’ cooking.

I had to get on board!  I scoured the internet for ideas that were vegetarian-friendly. Let’s face it, a sheet pan dinner is a little too much for one person. If I prepared a meat recipe, I would have to eat it by myself. Since I needed to prepare something for dinner anyway, making this dish vegetarian was the best way to go. That way, my vegetarian, John.e, would have a great dinner too.

HOW TO MAKE SHEET PAN TOMATO GNOCCHI

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees F. A really hot oven is the key to cooking the tomatoes and gnocchi thoroughly without overcooking them. Also, the hot oven will blister and pop the tomatoes, creating a sauce of sorts for the gnocchi.

While your oven heats up, measure the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper into a large mixing bowl. Add the dried red chili flakes too if you’re using them; remember, they are optional. Whisk everything together to combine it. Next, add in the tomatoes and the gnocchi. Toss those until well coated in olive oil and seasonings.

Pour the mixture onto a two-thirds sheet pan (also referred to as a three-quarter size sheet pan) which measures 21″ by 15″. Use a rubber spatula to move things about, ensuring that all of the ingredients are spread out into a single layer.

Set the sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. The gnocchi should be browned and the tomatoes should be popped open. (Some of them may not pop and that’s okay.) Remove the pan from the oven and plate. Garnish and serve immediately.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Sheet Pan Tomato Gnocchi is quite flavourful and filling. To be quite honest, a side or any other serving suggestions are not needed, however, I could not resist! The juice from the blistered tomatoes begged to be paired with bread. I toasted a few slices of baguette under the broiler and used them as a vessel for those delicious tomatoes. You can also try my Double Toasted Garlic Bread!

If you need to make this meal stretch a little further, I suggest serving it with a side salad. Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes are also a great option, especially if you’re preparing this recipe during tomato growing season! A simpler tomato option would be these Marinated Italian Tomatoes – so good!

GOT LEFTOVERS?

Okay, this is getting a little long-winded, so I’ll go ahead and tie it all up now. When all is said and done, this is one of the best gnocchi and tomato combinations you’ll ever eat. It really is that good! If you have any leftovers, don’t worry. Once fully cooled, you can refrigerate the leftovers in a food-safe container for up to three days. Yes, it will certainly last that long in your fridge and still look and taste fresh! To reheat, toss in a warm skillet until warmed through, or simply pop it in the microwave for a minute or two! Enjoy!