Sheet pan gnocchi with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella
Gnocchi and cherry tomatoes roast until crisp and jammy, then get covered in torn fresh mozzarella that melts right on the pan, like caprese made cozy.
- 40 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $4.61 a serving
- 640 calories
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 packages potato gnocchi, two 16-oz packages
- 2 packages cherry tomatoes, two 10-oz packages
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, torn
- ½ cup fresh basil, leaves
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Each serving has about 640 calories, 21 g protein, 88 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $4.61 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F and line two with .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
Divide the gnocchi, tomatoes and smashed garlic between the pans, with the oil, sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and .
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Dolly’s tip: Straight from the package, no boiling. Break apart any that are stuck together so each one gets crispy.20 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the gnocchi are and the tomatoes have burst.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 20 min
Tear the mozzarella over the top and roast 3 to 5 minutes more, just until it .
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 4 min
Dolly’s tip: Pull it as soon as the cheese slumps. Too long and fresh mozzarella turns rubbery.Scatter the basil over the top, with balsamic and serve.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
