Sheet Pan Supper Recipe: Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Basil and Bocconcini Cheese
Sheet pan suppers continue to be the staple of many of my weeknight meals, and my latest creation is one I wish I had thought of for my upcoming cookbook, an ode to one-pan and one-pot meals. There’s much to love about the humble sheet pan, but I’d say at the top of my list is the versatility of this ordinary baking sheet, not to mention the lower-than-low price point. Often referred to as a baking sheet or cookie sheet, cooking on a sheet pan lets your oven do most of the work, while you take care of other more important things, like helping the kids with homework.
Also, a sheet pan meal can be prepared early in the day, covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator until it’s time to cook. Just let everything come to room temperature while the oven preheats, and then slide the pan into the hot oven to bake. It feels almost effortless to get a good meal on the table this way.
Many sheet pan meals are meat and veggie heavy and take up to an hour to cook, but this dinner I’ve created is vegetarian and can be on the table in 20-minutes. I like to serve it with a large side salad or even some sausages for my teenage sons (when cut into thirds they can cook in the same amount of time as the gnocchi).
This isn’t the first one pan dinner we’ve showcased here on the site. If you’re looking to simplify your weeknight meals even further, here are a few more of my personal favourites:
- One-Pan Lasagna
- Sausage Sheet Pan Supper (with four variations)
- Chicken and Kale Pizza Bake
Now it’s your turn… are you as smitten with sheet pan dinners as I am? What’s your favourite recipe?
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Basil and Bocconcini
(Adapted from Dinner a Love Story)
Serves 2 to 4
You’ll Need:
- 1 pound potato gnocchi (packaged, not fresh)
3 tablespoons olive oil - Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 package (approx. 300g) mini bocconcini
- Fresh basil leaves (10 – 12)
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Place the gnocchi in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to cook for 2 minutes, then drain well. Add the gnocchi back to the bowl and toss with olive oil, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.
3. Spread the gnocchi in an even layer on the sheet pan and tuck in the tomatoes, bocconicini, and half of the basil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
4. While the gnocchi are baking, combine the breadcrumbs and butter in a small bowl. Scatter over the gnocchi and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Tear the rest of the basil leaves, scatter them over the gnocchi, and serve immediately (with a side salad and/or roasted sausages, if desired).
