This Caprese gnocchi recipe is about to become your go-to summer weeknight dinner! It cooks on one pan in under 30 minutes and is bursting with fresh flavor. Inspired by a classic Caprese salad, it combines store-bought gnocchi with summer tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella cheese.
Just like in the sheet pan gnocchi recipe, the gnocchi isn’t boiled here. Instead, it bakes in the oven alongside cherry tomatoes. The gnocchi soaks up the flavorful tomato juices while becoming lightly crisp and browned. After baking, it’s finished with torn mozzarella, basil, and dollops of pesto for bold, bright summer flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Caprese Gnocchi Recipe
- It turns Caprese flavors into a full meal. Tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella are so delicious together that they deserve to be more than a side dish. This recipe is a simple way to turn these peak-summer ingredients into a full dinner.
- The combination of textures is delicious. The contrast of the crispy gnocchi, bursty tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella makes this recipe irresistible.
- It’s ready in 30 minutes, most of which is hands-off roasting time. If you’d like to make homemade pesto to serve with this recipe, you’ll have enough time to prep it while the gnocchi bakes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Caprese gnocchi recipe:
- Gnocchi – Store-bought gnocchi works best here; shelf-stable and refrigerated options both work great. Homemade gnocchi is not recommended — it would need to be boiled first and is too delicate for this recipe.
- Cherry tomatoes – Cherry and grape tomatoes both work well. A mix of colors and types adds extra depth of flavor.
- Garlic – For savory bite.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – It helps the gnocchi crisp up in the oven.
- Balsamic vinegar – It adds a subtle tang. Regular thin balsamic vinegar works here, though a thicker balsamic reduction works too — if using that, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon instead of 2.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese – Left uncooked, its creamy texture contrasts perfectly with the crispy gnocchi and juicy tomatoes. For a fun twist, use torn burrata instead.
- Lemon zest – It adds a pop of brightness that takes this recipe over the top.
- Fresh basil leaves and basil pesto – For bold basil flavor! Store-bought pesto works just fine, but if you have an abundance of fresh basil on hand, make it from scratch. This pesto recipe is easy to make in a food processor using fresh basil, pine nuts (or any nut), garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.
- Salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Caprese Gnocchi
This recipe is super simple to make:
1. Roast the gnocchi and tomatoes. Toss them with the olive oil, balsamic, garlic, salt, and pepper and bake at 450°F until the gnocchi is tender. Give everything a good toss halfway through so that the gnocchi cooks evenly.
2. Add the mozzarella, basil, and lemon zest. Sprinkle them over the gnocchi after it comes out of the oven.
3. Season to taste and serve with pesto. Dollop some pesto onto the whole pan, then serve with more on the side so everyone can customize their own plate.
More Gnocchi Recipes to Try
If you love this Caprese gnocchi recipe, try one of these delicious gnocchi dishes next:
