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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.
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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!
Only my second time making gnocchi.
This is such a simple recipe, with powerful flavour.
I added ground beef to mine to make it a gnocchi bolognese, and used beef broth instead of chicken. This recipe is superb. Will definitely make again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Emma!! I have another ground beef gnocchi recipe you may also like here: https://bit.ly/2PKsVM1
So delicious!!! Easy to make and just wow! I added a dollop of burrata on each plate and it was SO GOOD!
Fantastic!! Thanks for taking the time to review the recipe.
Loved this recipe,I added mushrooms and fresh herbs, along with basil, I added rosemary, thyme and a bit of sage.
Wonderful!! 🙂
This was my first time cooking with gnocchi. The recipe is delish! The cheeses melted together in a wonderfully decadently rich sauce. I didn’t even bother with the butter or the broth (substituted water as so little needed) and I kicked it up with some extra crushed red peppers.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! 😀
This was super yummy! I didn’t have any Italian seasoning, so just used dried oregano and basil as well as a few fresh basil leaves. I also added about 100ml of cream. Didn’t have mozarella so just used Parmesan. Such a delicious recipe! I used gnocchi that was from the fridge section of the supermarket and it cooked perfectly. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you! So good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to tweak it! 🙂
The first time I made this I made a huge mistake and added 1 cup each of the cheeses. It was nothing but a ball of cheese. So, I made it again and only used a quarter cup of each cheese and I ended up taking out about half the melted cheese. It was very globby – if that’s a word. I also ended up using an additional quarter cup of vegetable broth to thin it out. The starch in the gnocchi makes it thick and the cheese makes it even thicker so it needed thinning. It has good flavor but IF I were to make this again I don’t think I would add the cheese in but use it as a topping – sparingly.
Hmmm I wonder why yours turned out so thick! I’m glad you were able to tweak it to your liking, though.
Can you make dish ahead of time and reheat?
You can, but it may get a little gloopy since the gnocchi will continue to release starch. I’d re-warm it on a low heat.
One of the most delicious dishes I have tasted. Even my picky kids ravaged it. We put more chicken broth in (for extra kick) and more tomatoes (we needed more sauce with more Gnocchi) but otherwise stayed true to the recipe. I’m surprised that this is “American” cuisine however, when ingredients include Gnocchi, Mozzarella, Parmesan and Italian Herbs which are “Italian”?
That makes me so happy that it was a hit for your family! Yes, the cuisine is always a bit tough since I can’t please everyone haha. If I put “Italian”, I would get feedback that I am not using authentic techniques or ingredients. It’s happened before. 😉
I read fried gnocchi is nicer
Can I fry ahead and mix it together after
You could, but the sauce may not thicken up the same.
So good, as always!!! I added Italian sausage!
Wonderful!! Sausage makes everything better! 😉
Just made it this evening! Same recipe expect for the cheeses. I added Gorgonzola to the sauce before adding the gnocchi. Sprinkled Parsley. Delish! Also made chicken on the side:)
Sounds awesome!!