Plump, crispy roasted gnocchi, juicy cherry tomatoes, red onions and peppers, pesto, and cheese are a foolproof combination. This dish is unbelievably easy, and done in 30 minutes or less.
I am not going to lie to you: this dish is not the cutest.
That being said, it’s delicious. Abby and I ate it all the time because it’s just so good, so easy, and so full of vegetables. Plump, crispy roasted gnocchi, juicy cherry tomatoes, red onions and peppers, pesto, and cheese are a foolproof combination.
This recipe is adapted from this one from Kitchn. It’s totally vegetarian—though it would be easy to add shredded chicken or crispy prosciutto at the end, if you wanted—and super low maintenance. It’s great for any night you’re a little short on time (or motivation). I’ve adapted it so it’s more veg than gnocchi, but you can throw some more gnocchi on there if it doesn’t look like enough to you.
All you have to do is dump the gnocchi and the vegetables on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast! Once the gnocchi has turned pretty and plump and the vegetables are cooked through (and charring a little in some places), you’ll toss it with pesto, a little bit of balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle on the parmesan.
That’s it! It’s so quick and straightforward that we always managed to make it, even if we were tired or busy. And it doesn’t even feel heavy, like gnocchi can sometimes, but is still filling.
If you’re not serving it with a side, this recipe serves two. If you’re serving it with a side, like bread, you could stretch it to four. I don’t particularly love this one left over—I feel like the gnocchi gets a bit gritty—but we don’t often have leftovers anyway, so it’s not usually a problem. If you do need to reheat, the best way is to do it in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, and freshen it up with a little extra pesto.
When I made this for my mom, she was not convinced until she tried it. Then she ate ¾ of the pan by herself because she couldn’t stop eating it! Try it, and I bet it’ll end up on your regular rotation, too—despite its ugly duckling status.
sheet pan gnocchi with pesto & vegetables
serves: 2 on its own, or 4 with a side
time: ~30 minutes
ingredients
8 oz gnocchi
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 small red onion, cut into wedges (or ½ a large red onion if you can’t find a small one)
12 oz cherry tomatoes
12 oz roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
6 oz pesto
balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
directions
- Preheat oven to 475F/250C/Fan 230C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scatter gnocchi, garlic, red onion, tomatoes, and red peppers on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss—be sure to evenly distribute the oil, especially over the gnocchi. Add salt & pepper (generously) and toss again.
- Roast for 18-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the gnocchi are plump and soft and the onions are cooked through and a little charred on the ends.
- Toss the gnocchi and vegetables with pesto and a little bit of balsamic vinegar, and then sprinkle with parmesan.
