One-pan gnocchi bake
Comforting, quick one-pan bake of pillowy gnocchi in a garlicky tomato sauce with mushrooms, spinach and melted cheese.
This one-pan gnocchi bake is the sort of cheerful, low-fuss comfort food that slides into weeknight rotation. Pillowy potato gnocchi swim in a garlicky tomato and mushroom sauce, topped with gooey mozzarella and a grating of vegetarian hard cheese.
It’s quick to assemble, easy to scale and ideal when you want something warming with minimal washing-up. Finish it under the oven’s heat for a lovely golden top and serve straight from the pan.
Ingredients
- 500 g potato gnocchi
- 30 ml olive oil — about 2 tbsp
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 250 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 400 ml tomato passata
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml chilli flakes — optional
- 5 ml salt — adjust to taste
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 80 g baby spinach
- 150 g mozzarella — torn
- 50 g vegetarian hard cheese — grated
- 10 g fresh basil — a small handful, torn
Equipment
- ovenproof frying pan or ovenproof baking tray
- grater
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. If you plan to finish in the oven, choose an ovenproof frying pan; otherwise have a baking tray ready.
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium hob flame. Add the brown onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
Add the chestnut mushrooms and increase the heat slightly. Cook until they release their liquid and start to brown, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the cherry tomatoes, tomato passata, dried oregano, chilli flakes (if using), salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the potato gnocchi and baby spinach, folding gently so the gnocchi are coated in the sauce and the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Ensure the gnocchi are heated through.
Scatter the torn mozzarella and grated vegetarian hard cheese evenly over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese has melted and is golden in spots, 10–12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. Scatter the fresh basil over the top and serve straight from the pan.
Tips
- Use an ovenproof frying pan so you can go from hob to oven with no fuss; if you don’t have one, transfer to a baking tray before baking.
- If the pan looks too saucy before you add the gnocchi, simmer a little longer so the sauce isn’t watery and the gnocchi don’t go soggy.
- Frozen gnocchi works fine but add 2–3 minutes when warming through; don’t thaw completely or they’ll get sticky.
- Make ahead: cook the sauce to step 5, cool, then chill for up to 24 hours. Add gnocchi, spinach and cheese and finish as directed.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven at 180°C fan/200°C conventional for 10–12 minutes, covered for the first 5 minutes to stop drying out.
Substitutions
potato gnocchi → gluten-free gnocchi (same weight)
Stays closemozzarella → vegan mozzarella (same weight)
Noticeably differentchestnut mushrooms → aubergine, 200g, cut into 1cm pieces
Noticeably differenttomato passata → tinned chopped tomatoes, 400g (break up while cooking)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 440
- Calories
- 18 g
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use fresh gnocchi?
Yes — fresh gnocchi cooks very quickly. Add it at step 6 and warm through for 1–2 minutes until heated; frozen or shop-bought gnocchi may need a little longer.
What if my frying pan isn't ovenproof?
Transfer the assembled gnocchi and sauce into a 20–23cm ovenproof baking tray, top with the cheeses and bake as directed.
How long can I keep leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven for best texture or in the microwave for convenience.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes — replace mozzarella with a vegan alternative and use a vegan hard-style cheese or omit the hard cheese; flavour will be slightly different.
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