This post may include affiliate links; see our disclosure policy.

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

Gnocchi recipe
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Did you know one of the easiest ways to cook gnocchi is…baked on a sheet pan? No boiling a big pot of water required! 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. This Sheet Pan Gnocchi is from Jessica Merchant‘s brilliant new book, Everyday Dinners. Come experience the magic!

What you need for sheet pan gnocchi

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! Here’s our Quick Guide to Basil for info on growing it at home
  • 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!
Everyday Dinners
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. Sheet pan gnocchi is best right from the oven, but you can save leftovers refrigerated. Just note that they become hard in the fridge; you’ll need to re-warm leftovers before enjoying them!
Gnocchi recipe

Types of gnocchi to use

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!)

What to avoid? Don’t use homemade gnocchi in this recipe: the texture won’t hold up in the oven. Use the traditional boiling method for those!

Gnocchi recipe

About the book: Everyday Dinners by Jessica Merchant!

This sheet pan 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 sheet pan gnocchi

There are so many variations on sheet pan 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?

Gnocchi recipe

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).
  • 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 sheet pan gnocchi is…

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

Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Print

Sheet Pan Gnocchi!

Gnocchi recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

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

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2 or 3 as a meal, 4 as a side 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian inspired
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 16-ounce package uncooked potato gnocchi (vegan or gluten free as desired, or cauliflower gnocchi*)
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup basil pesto (use Vegan Pesto for vegan)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, for topping (omit for vegan)
  • 1 handful torn or chopped basil leaves, for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper. 
  2. SPread the gnocchi and tomatoes out on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss. Spoon on the pesto and toss until everything is coated. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes and toss well to combine everything. Make sure everything, especially the gnocchi, is seasoned well. 
  3. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the gnocchi is tender, tossing once during the cook time. 
  4. Serve the gnocchi immediately. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, additional red pepper flakes, and fresh basil. (As a note, any leftover gnocchi becomes hard in the fridge; you’ll want to reheat it again before eating leftovers.)

Notes

*Look for vegan or gluten-free gnocchi for those diets (some brands are already vegan). You can also make this using Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi. Use them right from the freezer, and make sure the gnocchi are not clumped together. Roast about 25 to 30 minutes, and note the outsides might not get as crisp as the standard potato gnocchi.

Did you love this recipe?

Get our free newsletter with all of our best recipes!

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

6 Comments

  1. Christine says:

    This was amazingly delicious. I had a box of gnocchi in the pantry and was looking for something to do with it. This hit the spot. Will definitely be making this dish again.






  2. Mary Eileen says:

    This was delicious! I added red and yellow peppers and red onion to the sheet pan. I love every recipe that you guys post. I have never been disappointed! Always tasty! Thank you!!! Please keep them coming! You provide easy-to-do recipes that are packed full of flavor.

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Thank you! We will :)

  3. Lisa A says:

    I made the vegan pesto to go with this, and wow. These were the most incredible flavor and texture, like a potato pillow, or your favorite roasted potato but puffy. I loved gnocchi before, but I’ll make this again for sure.






  4. Janet says:

    I love sheet pan meals! I didn’t know you could cook gnocchi in the oven. Looking forward to trying it out.

  5. Jen says:

    This sounds so good! Perfect easy summer dinner to eat out on the deck!