Baked Gnocchi with Tomatoes

This baked gnocchi with tomatoes is rich and creamy with a delicious sauce made from mozzarella cheese. This simple one-pan meal is easy to make but hearty and filling.

Gnocchi is one of my favorite comfort foods and I usually keep a package of shelf-stable gnocchi on hand for easy dinners. It’s a great pantry staple because it lasts a long time and you can easily spice it up with just a few ingredients.

What is Gnocchi?

Gnocchi is typically considered a type of pasta but it’s technically a little dumpling,  made with potatoes and flour. It’s usually served like pasta, with marinara sauce, pesto, or alfredo sauce. You can learn more about the history of dumplings in this post from DeLallo!

Types of Gnocchi

Not all gnocchi is the same, and the kind you grab changes how this bake turns out.

• Store-bought potato gnocchi comes shelf-stable, refrigerated, or frozen, and any of the three work here. I used shelf stable.
• Ricotta gnocchi swaps the potatoes for ricotta, so it’s lighter and more pillowy. Delicious on its own, but it’s delicate and tends to fall apart in a baked dish.
• Homemade gnocchi made from scratch is a whole project. It’s great but, it’s not the best pick for this recipe.

The Best Type of Shelf Stable Gnocchi

There are a number of different brands on the market, but DeLallo is my personal favorite. Some gnocchi come seasoned or flavored, but I recommend plain gnocchi for this recipe. The only brand I didn’t like was the Kroger shelf stable gnocchi. It had a weirdly sour flavor.

Baked Gnocchi Ingredients

• Olive oil– This helps create a crispy, golden brown exterior on the gnocchi.
• Shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi– I’m sharing my favorite brands below! Looking for more ways to use it? Try my sun dried tomato gnocchi next!
• Butter– This helps add richness to the sauce.
• Milk– This makes the sauce extra creamy.
• Flour– This helps create a roux from the milk and butter.
• Garlic powder- I love the garlic flavor this adds to the dish.
• Salt– A little salt enhances all the flavors.
• Mozzarella cheese– This creates the cheesy part of the dish.
• Cherry tomatoes– This is an easy way to add vegetables to the gnocchi bake.
• Breadcrumbs– These add a lovely texture to the dish.
• Crushed red pepper flakes- I like the heat these add to the recipe, but you can skip them if you don’t like the spicy taste.

How to Make Baked Gnocchi

Variations and Add Ins

• Use fresh garlic. Two minced garlic cloves cooked in the butter before you whisk in the flour, instead of the garlic powder.
• Add parmesan cheese. A quarter cup stirred into the sauce along with the mozzarella makes it sharper and saltier.
• Finish with balsamic glaze. A light drizzle after baking cuts the richness and plays off the tomatoes.
• Unsalted butter works fine, just add another pinch of salt to the sauce.
• Bulk it up. A few handfuls of spinach stirred in with the tomatoes is an easy way to add extra veggies.

Is This the Same as Gnocchi alla Sorrentina?

Close, but not quite. Gnocchi alla sorrentina is the classic Italian version from Sorrento, and it’s built on tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil, baked until the top is bubbly. Trader Joe’s makes a great frozen version!

My version swaps the tomato sauce for a creamy mozzarella sauce and uses fresh cherry tomatoes instead, so you get the same golden, cheesy top with something richer underneath. If you want to get closer to the original, skip the roux entirely, use a jar of good-quality tomato sauce, and top it with torn fresh mozzarella cheese and a handful of Parmesan cheese before it goes in the oven.

What is Cauliflower Gnocchi?

Cauliflower Gnocchi, made famous by Trader Joe’s, took the world by storm a few years ago. The TJ’s brand of cauliflower gnocchi is made from cauliflower, cassava flour, and potato starch. I don’t recommend substituting frozen cauliflower gnocchi in this recipe. It’s a little too soft and gummy for this recipe.

The Secret to Creamy Sauce

The trick to this delicious baked gnocchi is the rich and creamy sauce! Butter, flour, and milk create a simple roux, and then the mozzarella cheese creates a deliciously rich sauce. Pour the sauce over toasted gnocchi and sliced tomatoes, and bake until bubbly and crispy!

Do I Need to Boil the Gnocchi First?

Nope! Whether you’re using shelf-stable, frozen, or refrigerated gnocchi, there’s no need to boil the gnocchi before using it in this recipe. Since we’ll toast it in the skillet, it’ll get golden brown before we add it to the baking dish.

How to Store Leftovers

If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat, microwave or reheat in the oven until the cheese is melted. I do not recommend freezing this recipe. Leftovers keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. The cooked gnocchi keeps soaking up sauce as it sits, so any remaining gnocchi will be thicker on day two. Add a splash of milk to loosen it up before reheating. For one serving, a microwave-safe dish and 60 to 90 seconds does it. For a bigger batch, cover it in an oven-safe dish and warm at 350 for about 15 minutes until the cheese melts again. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

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