With store-bought gnocchi mixed with a homemade pesto and a few other ingredients, you’ll have a delicious dinner on the table in no time with this Crispy Sheet Pan Pesto Gnocchi.
Traditionally, gnocchi is known for its pillowy nature and comforting richness. If handmade, they’re a labor of love. Here, we do a twist on a classic dish, pesto gnocchi, but keep the hands-on time to a minimum, and transform the texture of the gnocchi from soft to crisp and golden. It’s an entirely new flavor profile from an old favorite. If you’re a fan of the crispy edges of lasagna, this dish with the gnocchi’s golden edges will be right up your alley. The best part? It’s made on a sheet pan which makes cleanup an absolute breeze.
If you’re short on time, you can certainly use your favorite store-bought pesto but you can always taste the extra love with homemade. This is vegetarian as is, but if you’d like to add a protein, spicy Italian sausage or crispy pancetta would be lovely here. Also, don’t like goat cheese? Sub for fresh mozzarella.
And because I know you’ll ask — this method does not work as well for cauliflower gnocchi. Since they have a higher water content, they won’t get crisp in the oven. The flavor is still great, but the texture won’t be the same. You can, however, sautee the cauliflower gnocchi in olive oil and pesto using the method here. Just add in the tomatoes and onions at the end, and allow them to sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
Also, you’ll have a lot of extra pesto here! It will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks and it also freezes well for ALL the recipes!! But if I were you, I would use the leftover pesto to make my Herby Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews — YUM! It’s also great on sandwiches, wraps, or even on top of fried eggs!
Crispy Sheet Pan Pesto Gnocchi

Ingredients
For the Pesto:
- 2 cups packed fresh basil plus more for serving
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- Zest and juice of one large lemon
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts plus more for serving
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. Kosher salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
For the Gnocchi:
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 18 oz. refrigerated potato gnocchi
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp pesto
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 4 oz. goat cheese crumbled
For Serving:
- 2 cups baby arugula
- Shaved parmesan
- Zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
Make the Pesto
- In the bowl of a food processor, or high-powered blender, add the basil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, and pine nuts. Start the processor, blitzing the ingredients on low while slowly streaming in the olive oil. Continue to blend on medium-low until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides intermittently if needed. Once smooth, add the salt, red pepper flakes, and parmesan. Pulse a few more times until the cheese is just combined. Transfer to an airtight container and set aside while you prepare the rest.
Cook the Gnocchi
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the onions, tomatoes and gnocchi onto the sheet pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, pesto, salt, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle the pesto mixture over the contents of the sheet pan and toss to combine, ensuring the gnocchi are all coated.
- Spread the onions, tomatoes, and gnocchi in an even layer then transfer the sheet pan to the middle rack in the oven, and roast for 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through the cooking time to evenly roast the gnocchi .
- Once the gnocchi have baked for 22 minutes, remove from the oven, toss the gnocchi once more and crumble the goat cheese over top. Roast for 2 more minutes. Turn the broiler on and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the gnocchi is crisp.
- To serve, add a small handful of arugula to each bowl. Add the gnocchi over the greens. Finish with a bit of lemon zest, shaved parmesan, a sprinkle of pine nuts and a pinch of pepper flakes.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
17 Comments
Brittany
March 17, 2023 at 4:13 amThis was delicious! I’ve been introducing my husband to cooking and he loved being sous chef and making the pesto for this one. For everyone asking about frozen gnocchi— we used Capello’s frozen GF almond gnocchi, didn’t defrost or cook beforehand, and it came out perfectly cooked and crispy with no extra time added.
Taylor
February 1, 2023 at 12:16 amSuper easy and delicious! I drizzled with a balsamic reduction and added rotisserie chicken! Maybe added more pesto to the top too…
Sam
October 3, 2022 at 12:19 amThis is now on our regular rotation! About to be one of those people reviewing even with all my substitutions but here we go!
1. I’m not a fan of goat cheese so I subbed Boursin cheese. YUM
2. I used packaged gnocchi from the pasta aisle (not refrigerated) Also used jarred pesto to make it even easier.
3. Second time I made it, I added sliced pre cooked chicken sausage to roast with everything else for some added protein and it was amazing!
Thanks Alex!
Sarah
July 10, 2022 at 9:13 pmLove this! So easy and tasty! I couldn’t find refrigerated gnocchi, so just used dried (Delallo brand). I followed the recipe instructions for baking and it still worked out great! I also cheated with store-bought pesto and it made things extra easy.
Brandi
June 29, 2022 at 10:48 pmThis was delicious! My whole family enjoyed it!
Elena Feldhaus
May 25, 2022 at 4:48 pmAll I can find is frozen not refrigerated gnocchi…. Where did you get yours????
Alex
May 26, 2022 at 11:26 amI get mine from Central Market in their fridge section!
Hannah husby
June 14, 2022 at 9:02 pmAll I can find is dried gnocchi. Any advice on how to cook it?
Lala
May 14, 2022 at 1:35 am100% so yum.
Bernadette
April 29, 2022 at 11:19 amthis was so easy and so yummy!!
Do you have a was to save favorite recipes of yours? On the website
Kayla S
April 28, 2022 at 3:04 amMade this tonight for dinner and my boyfriend went back for THIRDS!! This recipe is fantastic and I can’t wait to add it to my regular rotation. Alex, you did it again!
Caroline
April 27, 2022 at 11:24 pmCan we make this with cauliflower gnocchi?!
Emily
April 26, 2022 at 11:29 pmSo delicious and easy! The goat cheese makes it. I added Italian sausage at the end for some protein.
Liz W.
April 26, 2022 at 12:22 amSo simple and delicious. I could have eaten the entire pan. I did not have any pine nuts or goat cheese but it was still amazing. Will be making again and again!
Carla Stinton
April 25, 2022 at 12:32 amMade this dish tonight. 🙂 I totally forgot to grab tomatoes, but I had asparagus on hand, so I used that in lieu of! Still turned out AMAZINGLY delicious. Just another dinner staple to add to our weekly meals. 🙂
Janel
April 23, 2022 at 10:42 pmCould only*
Janel
April 23, 2022 at 10:41 pmI couldn’t find frozen gnocchi…any tips?
Thank you!