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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!
To pull this recipe up to another level, try oven roasting fresh plum tomatoes beforehand. Halve them and arrange in a deep baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and dust generously with black pepper and sea salt crystals. Roast in a preheated oven (390F) until slightly charred, about 40 minutes. Cool and chop.
Great idea!
I have never reviewed a recipe before but this was so delicious I felt I needed to. I doubled the recipe but kept to the same dimensions as I was thinking I could use leftovers for my kids’ lunches tomorrow. No chance of that. It was demolished!
Aw that’s wonderful to hear, Tracey! Thank you so much for your review!
Nice and easy recipe. Turned out great and tasty. Had to improvise a bit as didn’t have the broth and fresh basil. Replaced by using a bit more ready made pasta sauce and dried basil leaves to compensate. Added bits of left over finely chopped eggplant, onion and spring onion. For the gnocchi used a combination of packed and refrigerated gnocchi. Used cheddar cheese only and still turned out yummy. Will definitely make again.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!!
Awesome, made as per recipe!
Thank you!! Glad you liked it!! 😀
I love the basics of this recipe, but do you get heartburn? Sauce needs a little sugar and to be cooked down longer – very acidic. That said I will make again with some tweaks. Happy eating!!
You can definitely add a bit of sugar to balance tomato sauces out if your tomatoes are particularly tart/acidic. I sometimes add a splash of cream too to balance the flavors.
I agree, it’s too acidic. I added 2 tablespoons of sugar and a splash of cream and it was still slightly acidic. I just think it needs more cooking time.
A delicious, easy, and quick recipe that is great to make after work! I halved to serve two portions and omitted the parmesan cheese, only used mozzarella and it turned out great. Also used vegetable stock to make it vegetarian!
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Delicious, easy to make.
🙂
This recipe is so simple and so so so delicious!! I make it often and my family and friends love it! Just ate it and I had to comment because it is just so good.
Thank you so much!! That makes me happy, Jess! 😀
Excellent flavor. Simple. I added a little more cheese and a little more broth, but it would have been great without any modifications.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jason! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Made this recipe several times and it’s a keeper! I’ve wanted to try it with the cauliflower gnocchi that you find at Trader Joe’s, what adjustments would I have to make since it would be frozen and wouldn’t release as much starch as potato?
I’m so glad you enjoy it, Liz! That’s a good question. I don’t live in the States, so I don’t have access to Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi or else I would have experimented since it’s popular and people have used it in my various gnocchi recipes. You may want to add a touch less liquid, but beyond that I really can’t say without testing, unfortunately.