Sheet pan meatballs and gnocchi
Crispy roasted gnocchi, juicy little beef meatballs and blistered tomatoes that burst into a sauce, all on one pan.
- 50 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $3.84 a serving
- 670 calories
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 lb potato gnocchi
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 lb 85/15 ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup fresh basil, torn (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Each serving has about 670 calories, 39 g protein, 48 g carbs and 35 g fat, and costs about $3.84 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No 85/15 ground beef? 90/10 ground beef works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No shredded mozzarella? Provolone slices work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F.
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.
Break the gnocchi apart and them with the tomatoes, oil, ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper on a large . 10 minutes.
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.
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.
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.
Timer: 10 min
While they roast, mix the beef, egg, panko, ¼ cup parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon salt with your hands, and roll into 1-inch balls.
Dolly’s tip: Wet your hands with cold water and the mixture won’t stick.Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Stir the gnocchi, then tuck the meatballs in between them in one layer.
15 to 18 minutes, until the meatballs read 160°F and the gnocchi are .
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: 16 min 30 sec
Food safety: Ground beef, pork and lamb are done at 160°F. When it’s cooked through there’s no pink left anywhere in the pan.
Press some of the tomatoes with the back of a spoon so they burst, and stir so their juices coat the gnocchi.
Dolly’s tip: The burst tomatoes become a quick, fresh sauce right on the pan.Scatter the mozzarella and the rest of the parmesan over the top and 3 minutes more, until .
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.
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: 3 min
Tear basil over the pan and serve.
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.
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