This sheet pan gnocchi combines crisp-edged potato gnocchi, roasted asparagus and juicy cherry tomatoes with tangy feta and crispy bacon. Everything is tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and rosemary before roasting for maximum flavor with no boiling required!
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If you’ve only tried boiling gnocchi in a pot of water, you’re missing out. Roasting it (or air frying, like in my air fryer cauliflower gnocchi) gives it crispy edges while keeping that pillowy soft center gnocchi is known for. It’s worth turning on the oven for! And since the oven’s already on, you might as well make a whole dinner out of it.
Asparagus, cherry tomatoes and shallots roast right alongside the gnocchi in this easy sheet pan dinner, and it’s all tossed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and rosemary for lots of flavor in each bite. Add feta partway through, then finish with crispy bacon and a squeeze of lemon. The hardest part is getting it onto plates before you’ve picked all the crispy gnocchi and bacon off the pan.
If you love bacon with gnocchi, my gnocchi carbonara is another one to try.
The Perks of This Sheet Pan Dinner
- No boiling required: Use uncooked gnocchi straight from the package. It cooks right on the baking sheet with the vegetables.
- Plenty of flavor: Balsamic vinegar, rosemary, garlic, feta and bacon guarantee there’s nothing bland about this dinner.
- Easy to switch up: Swap the asparagus for another vegetable depending on what you have or what’s in season.
- Make use of the oven time: Cook the bacon while the gnocchi and vegetables roast so everything is ready to come together at the end.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You can find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below. Here’s what goes into this sheet pan gnocchi and a few things to keep in mind.
- Gnocchi: You’ll need one pound of uncooked potato gnocchi. Break apart any pieces stuck together so they get coated with the oil and seasonings.
- Asparagus: Trim off the woody ends and cut the stalks into 2–3-inch pieces. Keeping the pieces similar in size helps them cook evenly. I often swap this for broccoli or green beans (both great roasting vegetables) depending on what I have on hand.
- Cherry tomatoes: These go on the pan whole. They soften and semi-burst as they roast to add some juicy sweetness to the dish.
- Bacon: Cook it separately while the sheet pan is in the oven, then drain and chop it. If you want a lower-fat option, use chicken sausage and throw it on the sheet pan from the start with the gnocchi and veggies.
- Shallots and garlic: Thinly slice both so their flavor gets distributed throughout the gnocchi and vegetables.
- Olive oil: Toss everything well so the gnocchi gets coated along with the vegetables.
- Balsamic vinegar: Adds a little sweetness and acidity that goes especially well with the tomatoes and feta. It’s the liveliness the dish needs.
- Rosemary and red pepper flakes: Rosemary brings a savory flavor, while the pepper flakes add a little heat. You can adjust the amounts to your liking.
- Feta: Crumble it into small chunks so you get actual bites of cheese throughout the dish. I like goat cheese in this too, but I’ll add that at the end versus halfway through the baking time if I’m using it.
- Parsley and lemon juice: The finishing touches! Sprinkle the parsley over the pan and add a squeeze of lemon before serving.
Go Easy on the Salt
Both the feta and bacon add salt, so keep that in mind when seasoning the gnocchi and vegetables. You can always add more once everything is combined.
My Pro Tips
How To Get the Crispiest Gnocchi
The biggest thing to pay attention to here is how you arrange everything on the baking sheet. Give the gnocchi some room and make sure it’s coated with oil so it has a chance to brown.
- Serve right away. The gnocchi tastes best fresh from the oven, especially if you’re after those crisp edges.
- Dry the vegetables after washing. There’s already moisture coming from the tomatoes as they roast. Patting the vegetables dry helps prevent adding more water to the pan.
- Toss thoroughly. Get down to the bottom of the bowl so the oil and seasonings coat the gnocchi.
- Use a large baking sheet. Spread everything into a single layer rather than leaving the gnocchi piled beneath the vegetables.
- Spread it out after tossing, too. When you take the pan out to add the feta, redistribute everything before returning it to the oven.
Substitutions and Variations
There’s some flexibility with the vegetables and seasonings, so you can work with what you have.
- Vegetables: Zucchini, broccoli or green beans can replace the asparagus. Cut broccoli into small florets and keep an eye on the pan, since changing the vegetables can change the roasting time. I find broccoli takes longer than asparagus (especially thin spears) and green beans.
- Rosemary: If you don’t have fresh rosemary, use ½ teaspoon dried rosemary instead or other fresh herbs like thyme or oregano.
- Heat: Reduce or omit the red pepper flakes if you prefer a milder dish.
- Bacon: You can leave it off for a meatless version or, like I mentioned above, swap it out for something with less fat and more protein like chicken sausage.
This recipe uses potato gnocchi. If you have cauliflower gnocchi to use up, try my baked cauliflower gnocchi with ground pork, tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella.
Serving Ideas
With gnocchi, vegetables, bacon and feta all in one dish, you don’t need much else to make this a complete dinner. My mizuna lettuce salad adds some fresh crunch with apples, sunflower seeds and a honey lemon Dijon dressing.
If you’d rather have something warm, these sautéed greens with garlic and lemon are an easy option. Some crusty bread for soaking up the tomato and balsamic juices left on the plate never hurts either!
How To Store and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Reheat in a skillet or the oven until warmed through to help bring back some of the gnocchi’s texture. The microwave will warm it up, but you’ll lose those crisp edges. This is definitely a dinner that’s best fresh from the oven the night you make it.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup feta, crumbled into small chunks
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- fresh lemon juice, for serving
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine gnocchi, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Spread everything on the sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until the gnocchi start to crisp and the tomatoes soften.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a pan until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then chop.
- Remove the pan from the oven, toss, then sprinkle feta over the top. Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the gnocchi are crisp and the vegetables are roasted.
- Top with the chopped bacon and parsley. Add a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.
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Notes
- If you don’t have fresh rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary can be used instead.
- Feel free to swap asparagus with other vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, or green beans.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
