Roasting Gnocchi > Boiling Gnocchi

While my life isn’t that different post-gnocchi roasting, my weeknight dinner rotation certainly is. I make these crispy, creamy, potato clouds of joy almost every week. And you should too. 

Potato gnocchi are traditionally cooked in boiling water and then tossed with a sauce. But if you roast shelf-stable gnocchi in the oven, they turn into something magical: golden brown and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. 

And if you roast your veggies right alongside your gnocchi, you’ve got a one-pan dinner that’s ready in 45 minutes. 

My favorite combo? Cherry tomatoes and sliced garlic. As they bake, the tomatoes burst and create a juicy sauce—and it’s pretty hard to beat the flavor of roasted garlic. 

The key is how you arrange everything on your rimmed baking sheet. Putting the tomatoes in the center lets them burst and turn tender, but doesn’t let them burn, while arranging the gnocchi around the outside (where it gets hotter) helps them brown. 

Finished with some torn fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, this is an easy dinner that the whole family will love—and the kids can help make. Even the youngest chefs can toss the tomatoes and garlic with oil and seasonings and arrange everything on the baking sheet. 

Feel free to get creative with this technique: I love swapping out the tomatoes for chopped asparagus, cubed butternut squash, sliced shallots, and/or thinly sliced brussels sprouts.