Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Every so often, a fun and trendy recipe will pop up and will grab my attention. Not only do I get caught up in the creative ingredients, steps and its beautiful imagery, I also get caught up in thinking about how I can tweak the recipe into my own unique version. This most recently happened when I came across a recipe for Sheet Pan Gnocchi in Bon Apetit magazine. This is an incredibly easy recipe that only requires you to bake the seasoned ingredients (onions, tomatoes, garlic and gnocchi) on a sheet pan for 25-30 minutes. Yes, even the gnocchi! Their version also has you tossing in fresh arugula and shaved Parmesan after the baking is done to make for a very creative and interesting pasta dish (you can view the original recipe by clicking here).
I absolutely love gnocchi, and will jump at the chance to do something fun and creative with it. The description of the gnocchi itself (crispy and caramelized on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside) had me sold on wanting to try this recipe. While the addition of the arugula did sound intriguing, it also got me thinking that my baked ratatouille would also work very well with this recipe. Instead of the onion and arugula, my version would include chopped cherry tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash, seasoned and mixed with the gnocchi. To add some additional flavor and ‘oomph’, I also added chopped pre-cooked chicken sausage.
Not only did this dish taste amazing, it has also become part of our regular rotation. Ten minutes of prep, 25-30 minutes in the oven, and boom! A perfect week day (or any day) pasta dish! Before I share the recipe, there are a couple of things that I would like to review:
- What type of gnocchi should I use? It is recommended that you use shelf-stable (air tight packaged and found in the pasta aisle) or refrigerated gnocchi. I would imagine that home made gnocchi would also work, if you have the time to make it. I would avoid using frozen gnocchi.
- Why a sheet pan and not a baking dish? Sheet pans are better conductors of heat and allow for crispier browning when baking, which is what you are looking for with this dish. The ingredients could end up more soft and mushy, and less crispy in a glass baking dish.
- What other ingredients can you add? The beauty of this dish is that it is very versatile. You can add a number of ingredients to make it your own! Anything from shrimp and chicken to peppers, artichoke hearts and fennel will all work well here! In fact, I am planning to put together an autumn version of this recipe with butternut squash and savory seasonings…stay tuned for that post!
Sheet Pan Gnocchi
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 16 ounce package shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi
1 12 ounce package pre-cooked chicken sausage, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt and ground black pepper. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, gnocchi and sausage. Toss with olive oil mixture until well coated. Add additional olive oil if necessary to coat, without having the ingredients soaking in oil.
Pour the ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet. Place on middle rack, bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven once gnocchi turn golden and start to crisp. Transfer the baked ingredients to a serving bowl. Mix with Parmesan cheese and additional olive oil if necessary. Serve and enjoy!
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