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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 or One Pan Creamy Gnocchi with Sausage next.
Why you’ll love it
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.
This gnocchi with red sauce can be a main course or a meatless side depending on what you’re feeling. It’s made with pantry ingredients like Italian seasoning, but the taste is phenomenal. One lovely reader describes the silky tomato sauce as “absolutely gorgeous”.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Garlic – it adds irresistible garlicky flavor
- Diced tomatoes – they’re canned at the peak of ripeness
- Tomato paste – for even more tasty concentrated tomato taste
- Chicken broth – or use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. Easily make this gnocchi vegetarian if you sub the chicken broth for veggie broth.
- Italian seasoning – this versatile blend of dried herbs is so tasty and comes in a single jar
- Gnocchi – I use the shelf-stable gnocchi that you can find in the dry pasta aisle
- Cheese – we’re using both mozzarella and parmesan to make the sauce deliciously cheesy
- Basil – fresh basil is one of my favorite cooking ingredients ever. I just want to throw it in everything.
Can I use homemade gnocchi?
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.
How to make gnocchi with tomato sauce
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a skillet, cook the garlic in the butter and olive oil until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth or wine, and Italian seasoning.
Add the gnocchi. Cook, stirring every so often until it’s cooked through. Stir in the basil and the mozzarella and parmesan until melted. Season with salt & pepper.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the skillet I use for this gnocchi.
- I like these angled measuring cups for measuring out ingredients.
- Easily mince garlic cloves with a garlic press. No need to peel them first.
Substitutions and variations
- 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 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or some cayenne pepper.
What to serve with tomato gnocchi
- If serving this as a main course, pair it with a salad! I like to make a big Caesar salad with my 10-Minute Caesar Dressing and Easy Homemade Croutons (Garlic & Parmesan).
- It also makes a great side dish. Serve it with my Chicken Milanese, Crockpot Pork Tenderloin, or this Easy Baked Salmon.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover gnocchi in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat on the stove slowly over a low heat. Keep in mind it’ll release more starch over time.
- I don’t recommend freezing it since the texture will likely change.
If you made this easy tomato sauce for gnocchi, please leave a star rating and review below! Ask me any questions you have. Tag me on Instagram if you made any of my recipes.
Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or white wine
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Small handful fresh basil torn/sliced
- 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.
- The sauce is meant to be quite thick, but if you find it gets too dry before the gnocchi is cooked, add in another splash of chicken broth or wine.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on August 31, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Where did you get those plates?! I love them
Restoration Hardware. Not sure they sell them anymore. Sara Paloma nesting bowls. 🙂
Hi there I just wanted to let you know that this recipe was a hit with my very fussy 9 year old son!
I have been following your recipes for a while now and have saved many of them and decided to start with this one and I’m so glad I did!
Thank you for making a week night meal very eady and thumbs up to every one in the family especially number 9!
Yay that’s awesome!! So glad he liked it. Thanks for taking the time to write me a comment! XO 🙂
Excellent. We’re WFPB, so I omit oil and butter, sub veg broth, and use no cheese but some Anthony’s nutritional yeast. Thanks for your perseverance to get a good recipe.
So glad you were able to tweak it, Jen! 🙂
Thank you ! Perfect for bc what I needed
You’re welcome!
So easy, tastes great I added alittle fresh spinach 👍
Good idea!! So happy it was enjoyed.
I didn’t follow this recipe exactly, but used the basic idea of cooking the gnocchi in the tomato sauce and was impressed it worked well! Although it took a few more minutes than suggested to cook the gnocchi. I have always boiled it separately in the past but the idea of using just one pan appealed to me, and I think I will continue to use this method in the future.
So glad you liked the technique!
Although I added more veggies (zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, carrots), used cheddar, and didn’t bake the dish, IT WAS AMAZING! Thanks for providing this recipe.
You’re very welcome!
The whole recipe was perfect, I cooked it for my family and it went down well, thank you 🙂
So glad to hear that, Leah! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Hello, please could you tell me if u work with instant stock cube?
Do u dissolve it in water as per suggestion (500ml)?
The tomato paste -do u dissolve it warm water and how much?
Many thanks for the recipe
Hi! You could definitely try that with the stock cube. I buy the tomato paste that’s already in liquid form, so I’m not sure how much water you’d add to it exactly.
Would this work with Trader Joes cauliflower gnocchi?
I have had readers try my gnocchi recipes using it and they’ve been successful. I don’t live in the USA so I have never tried it myself. Let me know how it goes!
This works very well, and is actually a slight variation of an old Italian way of preparing gnocchi, if you are able to find gnocchi potata it is also good! The only thing I would add is it drizzle of light 100% olive oil before serving
Great, thanks for the tip!