Sheet pan gnocchi with sausage, corn and burst tomatoes is an easy one-pan dinner with juicy tomatoes, browned sausage and tender gnocchi. The tomatoes burst as they roast, then mix with cream and Parmesan to make the sauce right on the pan.
I did not expect roasted gnocchi to be this good. The sausage and tomatoes were perfect together.
- Tyler A.
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from my actual life
(feel free to skip to the gnocchi)
I think of gnocchi as pasta, which means I also think of a large pot of water, waiting for it to boil, salting it, cooking something until the exact moment it is done.
None of this is difficult. It is simply more involvement than I am sometimes interested in giving dinner.
So when I kept seeing people throw shelf-stable gnocchi directly onto a sheet pan, I was interested.
What happens is gnocchi. Not handmade gnocchi rolled across a wooden board in somebody’s grandmother’s kitchen. Shelf-stable gnocchi from a package, roasted with sausage, corn and tomatoes. It is good, but the distinction feels important.
I added corn because it is August, and tomatoes because they are very good right now. The tomatoes also took care of the sauce. Once they are soft enough to collapse under a spoon, their juices mix with everything browned onto the pan, a little cream goes in, and I never had to get another pot involved.
This is exactly the amount of ambition I am looking for on a Tuesday.
Bailey
P.S. If you like dinners that happen on a sheet pan, my viral sheet pan lasagna is another very good place to start.
the tomatoes are the sauce
Half the tomatoes get cut, the rest go on whole. The cut ones release their juices while everything roasts. The whole ones stay intact so there is something left to smash at the end.
They should barely put up a fight. If you press one with the back of a spoon and it sprays, the pan needs a few more minutes. I pressed on one too early and tomato juice made it from the island to the stove.
Do not leave them in too long either. If the juices dry out on the pan, there is nothing left to turn into sauce. If you have to miss in one direction, miss early. You can always put the pan back in the oven.
Swap the corn, add another vegetable, do what you want. The tomatoes stay.
about the sausage
I use raw Italian sausage links here instead of bulk sausage. Snip the end of the casing and squeeze out small pieces directly onto the pan. You are basically making meatballs without actually making meatballs.
Do this after you toss everything else together so the sausage stays where you put it. The pieces do not need to be especially round or especially pretty. Just keep them roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
ingredients + substitutions
gnocchi: Use shelf-stable potato gnocchi. I have not tested refrigerated or frozen gnocchi here.
Italian sausage: Mild or hot Italian sausage both work. Pork, chicken or turkey sausage are all fine as long as they are raw links in casings.
cherry or grape tomatoes: Do not replace. They are what make the sauce.
fresh corn: Frozen corn should work in the same amount. I would thaw it first and pat it dry so you are not adding extra water to the pan.
olive oil: Avocado oil works.
Italian seasoning: Use ½ teaspoon dried oregano plus ½ teaspoon dried basil.
garlic powder: Leave it out if needed. The fresh garlic still gives the dish plenty of garlic flavor.
red pepper flakes: Leave them out for no heat.
garlic: No good swap. Fresh garlic gets added directly to the pan and helps flavor the sauce.
baby spinach: Omit it.
heavy cream: Half-and-half should work, but the sauce will be a little thinner.
Parmesan: Pecorino Romano or Asiago.
lemon juice: No good swap. It is what brightens the sauce at the end.
fresh basil: Fresh parsley works, but it changes the flavor. I would rather leave the basil out than use dried basil here.
See recipe card for quantities.
instructions
Build the sheet pan. Add the gnocchi, tomatoes, corn and garlic to the sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, add seasonings and toss. Squeeze the sausage into small "meatballs."
Roast until browned. Roast until the gnocchi is golden in spots, the sausage is cooked through and the tomatoes are blistered and juicy.
Make it saucy. Smash the whole tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Add the spinach, cream and Parmesan, then toss everything together, scraping up the browned bits from the pan.
Finish and serve. Return the pan to the oven until the spinach wilts and the sauce lightly coats the gnocchi. Finish with lemon juice and fresh basil.
variations
for picky eaters: Roast a small portion of the gnocchi separately with olive oil, salt and pepper, then finish with Parmesan and serve with a few sausage pieces.
make it vegetarian: Leave out the Italian sausage and add another sturdy vegetable such as zucchini or bell pepper.
storage
refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
freeze: I would not recommend freezing this one. The gnocchi and tomatoes will both lose some of their texture once thawed, and the cream sauce can separate.
reheat: Microwave individual portions until warmed through, stirring once if needed. For a better texture, reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a small splash of water or cream to loosen the sauce.
Recipe
sheet pan gnocchi with sausage, corn and burst tomatoes
heet pan gnocchi with sausage, corn and burst tomatoes is an easy one-pan dinner with juicy tomatoes, browned sausage and tender gnocchi. The tomatoes burst as they roast, then mix with cream and Parmesan to make the sauce right on the pan.
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield6 servings 1x
Ingredients
-
1 (16-ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi
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1 pound raw Italian sausage links
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12 ounces (340g) cherry or grape tomatoes, half halved and half left whole
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1½ cups (about 230g) fresh corn kernels, from about 2 to 3 ears
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3 tablespoons olive oil
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1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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½ teaspoon garlic powder
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¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
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½ teaspoon table salt
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½ teaspoon black pepper
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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2 cups baby spinach
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¼ cup (60g) heavy cream
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⅓ cup (about 30g) finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
-
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
-
½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- season the pan: Heat the oven to 425°F. Use an unlined large rimmed sheet pan. Add the gnocchi (16 ounces), tomatoes (12 ounces), corn (1½ cups) and garlic (3 cloves). Drizzle with the olive oil (3 tablespoons) and season with the Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon), garlic powder (½ teaspoon), red pepper flakes (¼ teaspoon), table salt (½ teaspoon) and black pepper (½ teaspoon). Toss well and spread into a single layer.
- add the sausage: Snip one end of each Italian sausage link (1 pound). Squeeze small meatball sized blobs of sausage directly onto the pan, spacing them evenly over the gnocchi and vegetables.
- roast: Roast for 18 minutes. Check the gnocchi and tomatoes. Continue roasting for another 2 to 4 minutes if needed, until the gnocchi is golden in spots, the sausage is browned and cooked through, and the tomatoes are blistered and juicy.
- make it saucy: Set the hot sheet pan on the stovetop or another heat-safe surface. Use the back of a spoon to burst the remaining whole tomatoes. Add the spinach (2 cups) in two handfuls, tossing after each addition. Drizzle with the heavy cream (¼ cup) and toss again, scraping the bottom of the pan so the tomato juices and browned bits mix with the cream.
- add the Parmesan: Sprinkle with the Parmesan (⅓ cup) and return to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and the sauce lightly coats the gnocchi.
- brighten it up: Add the lemon juice (1 tablespoon) and basil (½ cup) and toss. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as needed. Serve with additional Parmesan.
Notes
for picky eaters: Roast a small portion of the gnocchi separately with olive oil, salt and pepper, then finish with Parmesan and serve with a few sausage rounds.
make it vegetarian: Leave out the Italian sausage and add another sturdy vegetable such as zucchini or bell pepper.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Dinner
- Method: sheet pan
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙th of pan
- Calories: 475
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 1102.9 mg
- Fat: 27.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 66.1 mg
frequently asked questions
No. Shelf-stable gnocchi goes straight onto the sheet pan.
I have only tested this with shelf-stable gnocchi, so I would not promise the same result with refrigerated or frozen.
They should collapse easily under the back of a spoon. If they spray when you press them, give the pan a few more minutes.
This recipe is not meant to produce deeply crispy gnocchi. It gets golden in spots, but the tomato juices and cream turn it into more of a saucy sheet-pan pasta.
more quick and easy dinners
More dinner ideas you can make fast.
- The Better Burger Bowl Recipe (with Special Sauce)
- Pesto Rigatoni with Roasted Tomatoes (Easy Recipe)
- 20-Minute Sausage Carbonara Pasta (Easy Recipe)
- Easy Baked Cheeseburger Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
- The Best Homemade Sloppy Joes (Freezer Friendly)
- 30 Minute Honey Dijon, Bacon, Chicken and Rice Bowls
- Healthy Chicken Burrito Bowls with Cilantro-Lime Dressing
- Healthy Chicken Pad Thai (Easy Recipe)
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