Sheet pan gnocchi with tomatoes, red onions and basil

 

Roasting gnocchi, particularly shelf-stable gnocchi, never would have occurred to me. That's when I feel like, OK, I'll hang on to my Bon Appetit subscription a little longer.

Sheet pan gnocchi with tomatoes, red onions and basil
Adapted from Bon Appetit, June/July 2021

Ingredients
1-pound package shelf-stable gnocchi (or refrigerated gnocchi)
2 pints cherry tomatoes
½ large red onion, sliced into ½-inch wedges
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups baby arugula leaves
1 cup basil leaves torn into pieces
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved

Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place parchment on a rimmed baking sheet. In a medium bowl, combine gnocchi, tomatoes, onion, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil and kosher salt. Toss together and spread on baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until gnocchi are golden and starting to crisp. The tomatoes will have burst.

Remove garlic and squeeze out pulp int a small bowl. Mix with lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Add arugula, basil and Parmesan to gnocchi mixture. Toss together. Drizzle dressing over the top and serve, drizzling with more olive oil if desired.

Rating: Really, really good. I was a bit skeptical of how it would work with shelf-stable gnocchi, which is what I had on hand, but it actually works quite well. The tomatoes give off enough moisture to sort of steam the gnocchi, which takes on just a bit of crunch on the outside with the usual soft pillow interior. Very nice indeed, and not just because I don't have to clean the pasta pot, which is a fab bonus.