This Pesto Gnocchi Sheet Pan Meal is the perfect weeknight dinner. It is made with potato gnocchi, chicken sausage, tomatoes, mozzarella and lot of pesto. It’s an easy, filling and healthy recipe for the whole family.
Sheet-pan
Easy cleanup
You’ll Learn: The surprising texture and flavor of roasting, not boiling, gnocchi
Worth It: It’s a satisfying, protein-forward option that actually keeps you full
Bonus: One-pan approach for easy cleanup
Why You’ll love This Recipe
- Quick and easy dinner -Sheet pan meals are one of my favorite things. Toss everything together and roast it in the oven for a great option for busy weeknights. You don’t even have to worry about boiling a large pot of salted water, the gnocchi cooks in the oven.
- Satisfying one pan meal – With sausage, gnocchi, vegetables, and cheese, you have a complete and satisfying meal with delicious food all in one.
- Customizable – You can mix up this delicious meal with whatever vegetables you have on hand. It’s an easy recipe you can switch up anytime you would like. This sheet pan meal recipe will be on your weekly rotation!
Serving Suggestions
The great thing about this pesto gnocchi sheet pan meal recipe is that it is a complete meal on its own. To keep it a simple dinner, I’ll often serve it by itself, but you can absolutely add a side dish to this main dish.
I would serve this with a simple salad like my lemon kale caesar salad or a green salad with avocado ranch dressing.
A glass of white wine would be the perfect complement to your meal. For an easy dessert after your easy dinner, make this chocolate dip for fruit.
If you’re looking for another sheet pan gnocchi meal, try this chicken and gnocchi next time. For more gnocchi recipes, try this baked gnocchi recipe, or this creamy sausage gnocchi is a great option.
Ingredients
- Italian chicken sausage – you can use sweet or hot sausage for this recipe
- Gnocchi – I love gnocchi for this recipe because it can cook right on the pan. You can find a package of gnocchi in the pasta aisle in the grocery store.
- Cherry tomatoes – I love the burst of flavor the cherry tomatoes add to the sheet pan meal
- Pesto – I used store-bought pesto but you can make your own fresh pesto as well
- White balsamic vinegar – I like white balsamic for this recipe because it adds a bit of acidity but it’s a milder flavor
- Kosher salt and black pepper – the pesto provides a lot of the flavor in this meal, so you just need a bit of salt and pepper
- Mozzarella pearls – I love getting the peals for this recipe, but you can also use fresh mozzarella balls cut into pieces
- Heavy cream – use a touch of heavy cream to thin out your pesto for a perfect creamy sauce
- Parmesan cheese – a bit of parmesan tastes so good on this pesto gnocchi
Ingredient substitutions
You can add any vegetables you would like to this recipe. Bell peppers or mushrooms would be great. Shredded brussels sprouts or fresh spinach could also be delicious. I used fresh tomatoes in this recipe but you could also use sun-dried tomatoes.
For the fresh basil pesto, you could buy store bought, or you can make homemade basil pesto recipes by blending pine nuts, basil, fresh garlic, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. If you’re allergic to pine nuts, you can use sunflower seeds in your own pesto. For a touch of heat in your homemade pesto, add some red pepper flakes.
I used store-bought gnocchi, but you can also make homemade gnocchi. I love this sweet potato gnocchi recipe when I make my own gnocchi. If you prefer homemade potato gnocchi with a white potato, use yukon gold.
The sausage works perfectly in this recipe but you can also substitute your favorite proteins like chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
How to make
Step 1: Preheat oven and prepare Sauce
Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut chicken sausage into half moons and slice cherry tomatoes in half. Place chicken, gnocchi, and cherry tomatoes in a large mixing bowl (Image 1).
Mix pesto, white balsamic, salt and pepper together (Image 2) and pour over the gnocchi, chicken sausage and tomatoes (Image 3).
Step 2: Add to Pan and Bake
Pour onto the baking sheet (Image 4) and place in the oven to bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and add the mozzarella cheese balls on top (Image 5). Bake for another 10 minutes.
Step 3: Make the Drizzle and enjoy
While it finishes baking, whisk the ingredients for the creamy pesto sauce together.
Remove pan from oven, drizzle pesto cream sauce on top (Image 6) and serve with fresh basil ribbons and extra parmesan cheese. Add some lemon zest for a bit of flavor.
Storage and reheating
Once prepared, allow the creamy pesto gnocchi recipe to cool completely. Then, store leftovers to an airtight container. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days.
Reheat your gnocchi pesto meal either in the oven or a toaster oven at 250F until warmed through, about 15 minutes. You could also quickly heat in in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water. I like to add some fresh parmesan cheese and basil on top.
Check out these other delicious sheet pan Meals
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Pesto Gnocchi Sheet Pan Meal
Ingredients
- 12 oz Italian chicken sausage
- 16 oz gnocchi
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 8 oz mozzarella pearls or fresh mozzarella balls cut into pieces
Optional Drizzle
- ¼ cup pesto
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut chicken sausage into half moons and slice cherry tomatoes in half. Place chicken, gnocchi, and cherry tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix pesto, white balsamic, salt and pepper together and pour over the gnocchi, chicken sausage and tomatoes.
- Pour onto the baking sheet and place in the oven to bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and add the mozzarella cheese balls on top. Bake for another 10 minutes
- While it finishes baking, whisk the ingredients for the drizzle together.
- Remove pan from oven, drizzle sauce on top and serve with fresh basil ribbons.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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