Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Burst Cherry Tomatoes & Pesto
Makes 4ish servings
Notes:
It’s officially fall: The days are shortening. Pumpkins are everywhere. Earth-tone clothing beckons us. Vests await. And, it’s the most wonderful time of the year - for produce, anyway. Late September/early October is when the last of summer’s produce is still available, greens come back into rotation, and fall crops start making their appearance - it’s a veritable bounty. Here, we paired the season’s final cherry tomatoes (still can’t get enough of them) with a fall staple: Brussel sprouts. But, Brussel sprouts aren’t the only things to love to in this recipe. You have the gnocchi, the delightful balls of melty mozz, the gorgeous colors - and, (perhaps best of all!) minimal clean up and knife work. It’s perfect. There’s not much else to say about this recipe other than to just make it.
For four servings, we used 2 x 16 ounce boxes of gnocchi, but adjust according to your family’s appetites.
Product recs:
Gnocchi in several iterations - potato, cauliflower and gluten-free - are readily available at most grocery stores. We love Delallo - particularly their potato gnocchi - for this recipe.
For pesto, we like Seggiano’s, Mezzetta’s, and Le Grand’s versions.
Swaps:
If your fam isn’t into Brussel sprouts, grab cauliflower or broccoli florets instead
You could use jarred sun-dried or oven roasted tomatoes if you don’t have fresh ones
If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, look for ciliegine and cut those in half, or tear up a normal sized ball of mozzarella
Add-ons:
More veg - some cubed eggplant, a handful of arugula, or a small red onion or shallot cut into thin wedges - would be great here.
Pine nuts or chopped pistachios would be a great garnish.
To add more protein, throw on some diced, precooked Italian-ish sausage
A drizzle of hot honey would be divine here.
Equipment:
Ingredients:
2 pounds of gnocchi, refrigerated, or shelf stable
~14 ounce package of shaved or halved Brussel sprouts
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, red, gold, or multicolored
8 ounces mozzarella pearls, drained
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
~ 6 ounces pesto
Grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper (depending on how many boxes of gnocchi you use, you may need two sheet pans). If you’d like, spray the parchment paper with oil for a little extra browning.
On your lined sheet pan toss the gnocchi, brussels sprouts, mozzarella pearls, and cherry tomatoes with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with a big three finger pinch of salt and pepper, then dollop on the pesto.
Pop the tray into the oven for ~30 minutes, rotating halfway through.
When the cheese is melty and golden, and the cherry tomatoes have burst, remove from the pan from the oven and dish the gnocchi into bowls. Top with grated parm and anything else that sounds good.
