Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

This gnocchi with tomato sauce recipe is a simple one pan meal that takes store-bought gnocchi to the next level! Plenty of melty Parmesan and mozzarella make this dish extra delicious.

Try my Easy Baked Gnocchi next for another simple, cheesy recipe.

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you will have seen that I make a lot of gnocchi recipes. They’re easy, popular with readers, made in one pan, and crazy delicious. Usually they have a cream-based sauce, but I wanted to do a simple tomato sauce without any cream. I figured it was high time we had gnocchi with red sauce. 

I ended up testing this recipe 3x. The first time I used tomato sauce and it ended up being a little too ketchup-y for my liking. The second time I was close; the tomato sauce was subbed for diced tomatoes, and I also decided to add some mozzarella and Italian seasoning to the mix. The taste was almost there, but there was just way too much sauce. Also, I had an issue with the gnocchi sticking to the bottom of the pan, so I decided to cook it entirely uncovered for the next test. Third time’s the charm…

I’ve been using the last of my fresh garden basil up, and this recipe calls for a small handful. Fresh basil is one of my favorite cooking ingredients ever. I just want to throw it in everything. 

This recipe can be a main course or a meatless side depending on what you’re feeling.  It’s easily made vegetarian if you sub the chicken broth for veggie broth. 

As we head into the cooler months, I’m looking forward to making more soups with gnocchi such as my Parmesan, Mushroom, and Spinach Gnocchi Soup, this Sausage, Kale, and Gnocchi Soup, my Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup, or this Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup.

What kind of gnocchi to use?

I use the shelf-stable gnocchi that you can find in the dry pasta aisle. I’ve had readers test similar recipes with fresh homemade gnocchi, and the one pan technique does not seem to work as well (it’s delicate and can fall apart). The refrigerated gnocchi you can find in some supermarkets should work as well. 

Recipe notes:

• You can definitely add a splash of cream if you want to make the sauce a little richer.
• Have some fresh herbs on-hand? Feel free to throw them in along with the basil. 
• Want to make it a spicy tomato sauce? Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes.

Other one pan gnocchi recipes you may like:

• Creamy Tuscan Sausage Gnocchi (One Pan, 20 Minutes)
• Chicken Bacon Gnocchi
• One Pan Gnocchi alla Vodka
• 15 Minute One Pan Creamy Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Gnocchi
• Creamy Tomato Gnocchi
• One Pan Creamy Gnocchi with Sausage

Hope you will enjoy this easy tomato sauce for gnocchi!

Questions? Ask me below in the comments.