Baked Gnocchi with Basil Tomato Sauce

Here it is, my favorite recipe for gnocchi!

The gnocchi is baked in a tomato and fresh basil sauce made from scratch, topped with a heaping portion of shredded Mozzarella (the good kind, not that low-moisture skim stuff). If you’ve never heard of gnocchi, see my last post on Easy Fresh Gnocchi.

This is so fast and easy to make, you’ll love that it can be cooked up any week night you feel like comfort food. It goes from the cupboard to the dinner plate in less than 30 minutes!

You can use store bought or your own home made gnocchi. If using my recipe for gnocchi and you’ve frozen it, boil it first before making this recipe. Keep in mind this will add about 10 extra minutes of prep time to your schedule. If you are using store bought, you can proceed immediately with the recipe. Partially cooked packaged gnocchi can be found in most supermarkets in the pasta isle.

For this recipe, the gnocchi is sauteed in olive oil in a NON STICK SKILLET (please make sure you use a nonstick skillet, ask me how I know) until lightly browned and crunchy on the exterior, (Which is absolutely fabulous on it’s own; think fried potatoes.) A simple fresh tomato sauce is then made with minced onion, garlic, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, a can of crushed tomato and lots of freshly chopped basil. The fried gnocchi are tossed in this sauce, and topped off with shredded mozzarella. The the whole shebang is popped into the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.

If you have a large oven safe nonstick skillet, you can pop the whole thing into the oven. If not, simply transfer the tossed gnocchi and sauce into a dish that is oven safe. The cheese is melted into bubbly gooiness in the oven, really putting this dish over the top! Italian cooking at it’s finest. A meal you’d probably spend $18 bucks on at some fancy restaurant, and you can enjoy it at home for about $2 a serving! Great cooking at home comes with practice, but a great recipe will give you a tremendous head start :0)

Baked Gnocchi with Basil Tomato Sauce

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• Author: Emily
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Italian comfort food at it’s best, this recipe is both quick and very yummy :0)

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Ingredients

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• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound vacuum packed gnocchi or homemade
• 1/2 onion minced
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

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Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper middle and set oven to heat to 475 degrees.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet (If you have one that is oven safe, use it.) over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the gnocchi and saute until golden brown and crispy on the outside, transfer to a dish.
3. Increase the heat to medium high and add the remaining olive oil and the onion. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. stir in the crushed tomato and water and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the basil and browned gnocchi to pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, until the gnocchi is heated through about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to an oven safe dish and sprinkle with the mozzarella, or if using an oven safe dish, sprinkle the cheese over the pan, and slide into the oven. Bake the gnocchi for about 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned in some spots. Serve.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Entree
• Cuisine: Italian