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.
Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or veg broth
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Small handful fresh basil sliced thin
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil and butter to a deep skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, and Italian seasoning to the pan. Give it a stir.
- Stir in the gnocchi. Let it cook, stirring fairly often so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, until it's cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). The sauce will thicken as the gnocchi releases starch.
- Give the gnocchi a taste, and if it's cooked, stir in the mozzarella, parmesan, and basil until the cheeses melt. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi. It'll cook in the sauce.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Robin says
So easy and delicious! I got home late and to get it on the table faster I used our favorite premade red sauce. I put the butter and oil in pan, poured the red sauce in and then followed the recipe. Will definitely add this to our rotation!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Sounds good to me! 🙂
Ida says
This was super good! I used filled Gnocchis instead of regular and omg!!
Natasha says
That's great to hear! Thank you!
Tonya says
I used homemade qnocchi was so good
Zoe says
Delicious and so easy to cook😋
Natasha says
Thank you!! 🙂
Cooking Noob says
As a cooking noob, I’ve recently discovered canned Marzano tomatoes. This recipe was perfect to enjoy the Marzano deliciousness and very easy to do.
Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
Natasha says
Yes! You're welcome! 🙂
Judith says
I had a bit of chorizo hanging around in the fridge so I added that as well, cooking it off before adding the garlic (I used a bit less oil and butter). It only served two as my son and I ate it in one sitting. In our defence, we were hungry!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Love the chorizo addition!
Oriana says
This is quite lovely. Nice and light. I needed a sauce to go with my pumpkin gnocchi and it worked out well. Thanks so much
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Oriana!
Kelly says
Can I freeze this
Natasha says
I don't really recommend it. Gnocchi can take on a bit of a weird texture, and cooked cheese generally doesn't freeze great. You could give it a try, though, if you happen to have some leftovers.
Tammie says
Hi! I’m wondering if I made this with store ready gluten free gnocci if it would change the taste?
Thank you!
Natasha says
Hi! I think it should be fine. I haven't cooked with gluten-free gnocchi myself. It's possible it may thicken up more than regular gnocchi, so you may have to add more liquid. Let me know how it goes!
Tammie says
Thank you!!
Tammie says
I made it with the gluten free gnocchi’s and it came out great! I did add some red wine and half and half. It really was delicious. Thanks for tge recipe