A gnocchi tray bake is a gloriously simple and delicious dinner, my version rocks tomatoes, pickled chillies, peppers and mozzarella cheese.
This quick and easy recipe takes around 10 minutes to prepare and it cooks in 20 minutes, making it a fantastic low-maintenance mid-week dinner.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
A tray bake is the perfect low-maintenance meal, I’ve got everything from a pork chop traybake to a sausage traybake and a vegetarian halloumi traybake to a preserved lemon and chicken traybake.
They are very simple, chop some stuff, add some sauce or seasoning and chuck it in the oven.
This gnocchi tray bake is just the same, it is one of the easiest recipes on my site!
It even uses storebought gnocchi and there is no need to boil them before you cook them. It is a very similar process to the one that I use in my salmon and gnocchi traybake.
Sun-dried tomatoes join the gnocchi, some beautifully sweet San Marzano tomatoes, pickled chillies and red peppers.
Some seasoning, and a little oil, preferably from the sun-dried tomatoes and a bit of mozzarella cheese rounds out the ingredients.
Then you throw it in the oven and wait for 20 minutes. The gnocchi get almost crispy on the outside and are perfectly roasted but soft, and the flavours are magic!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to boil the gnocchi first?
No not at all, this recipe is so much better when you don’t. When you boil the gnocchi it gets quite soft and it will never overcome this in the oven.
Cooking it unbaked allows it to get little crispy edges and it has a pleasing texture semi-soft texture when baked.
What sort of gnocchi should I use?
I prefer to use “fresh” gnocchi from the chilled aisle in the supermarket. I have also tested it with shelf-stable gnocchi, it works ok but the stuff from the chilled aisle is better.
Can I use homemade gnocchi?
I would not use homemade gnocchi for this recipe, it is great, but it is not quite right because it becomes too soft here.
Do I have to use pickled chillies?
No, but a bit of acidity does go a long way to counteract the sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe.
You could omit the chillies, use chilli flakes, or even add fresh chillies to this recipe, but I would also add a teaspoon or so of vinegar.
Red wine vinegar or cider vinegar would work wonderfully.
Serving Suggestions
This gnocchi tray bake recipe is meant to be a quick, easy and very low-maintenance dinner and I think that the sides should reflect that.
The soft roasted tomatoes and the soft mozzarella beg for a little bit of bread and maybe a simple green salad on the side.
When it comes to the bread I would usually opt for a bit of garlic bread or cheesy garlic bread.
If you are feeling particularly lazy you can even cook frozen garlic bread in the air fryer.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Oven.
- 30cm x 22cm (12″ x 9″) baking tray.
- Mixing bowl.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
Gnocchi Tray Bake Recipe with Tomato and Mozzarella
Store-bought gnocchi is always a great ingredient for a quick meal, here it stars in a tray bake alongside both fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, pickled chillies and mozzarella cheese, and you don't even need to boil the gnocchi!
Ingredients
- 400g (14oz) Potato Gnocchi
- 9-10 (175g) Small San Marzano Tomatoes
- 5-6 (75g) Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed in Oil
- 1 Small Red Pepper
- 2-3 Pickled Chillies
- ½ Tsp Coarse Sea Salt
- ½ Tsp Dried Oregano
- ½ Tsp Dried Basil
- ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (the oil form the sundried tomatoes is best)
- 125g (4oz) Buffalo Mozzarella
- 12-18 Fresh Basil Leaves
Instructions
- Throw the gnocchi into a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and add them to the mixing bowl.
- Drain the sundried tomatoes, cut them into a small dice and add them to the bowl.
- Cut the red pepper in half, remove the seeds and the stem then cut it into thin (5mm or ¼") strips.
- Finely slice the pickled chillies, and yup... add them to the bowl.
- Add the dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper, then drizzle the oil over the ingredients in the bowl, then toss everything together, making sure that the gnocchi is well coated.
- Transfer the gnocchi mix to a 22cm by 30cm (9" by 12") tray, then tear the mozzarella and distribute it over the top of the gnocchi, tomatoes and peppers.
- Pop the tray in the oven and bake at 200°C or 390°F for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle the fresh basil leaves over the tray when it comes out of the oven and allow them to will for a minute or two before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 698Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 1039mgCarbohydrates: 83gFiber: 10gSugar: 21gProtein: 29g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.