Okay, so I made this on a Tuesday when I genuinely did not feel like cooking but also could not face another bowl of cereal. I had a bag of gnocchi in the pantry, some cherry tomatoes that needed to be used, and mozzarella in the fridge. Thirty minutes later I had something that looked like I’d put in real effort. That’s basically the whole pitch.
The thing that makes this work is that you’re not boiling the gnocchi first. You bake them straight from the package, and they get this slightly crispy, chewy exterior while staying soft inside. It’s a texture situation that boiling just doesn’t give you. The cherry tomatoes collapse and get jammy and almost sauce-like, which coats everything. Fresh mozzarella goes on toward the end so it melts without overcooking. A little Parmesan on top adds some sharpness and browns nicely. It’s a whole dinner in one pan.
You’ll want a rimmed toaster oven baking sheet for this — the rim matters because the tomatoes release juice and without it you’ll have a mess. If you don’t have one that fits your machine, a small ceramic or metal baking dish works too, though the gnocchi won’t brown quite as much on the bottom. For this recipe specifically, I actually prefer the baking sheet because of how much surface area you get.
If you’re using a full-size oven instead of a toaster oven, everything is the same — just use a half-sheet pan and bake at 425°F. It’ll take roughly the same amount of time. A compact toaster oven is honestly ideal for this recipe since you’re only making enough for two to four people and it preheats in a fraction of the time. Less waiting around, which I always appreciate.
Toaster Oven Cheesy Baked Gnocchi with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
Pillowy gnocchi baked until golden and slightly crispy, with jammy burst tomatoes and melted mozzarella. It comes together in one pan and takes about 30 minutes total.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat your toaster oven to 425°F on the bake setting. If yours has a convection option, use it — you'll get better browning on the gnocchi.
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In a medium bowl, toss the gnocchi and cherry tomatoes with 2.5 tablespoons of the olive oil, the sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and oregano. Make sure everything is well coated.
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Spread the mixture in a single, fairly even layer on a rimmed toaster oven baking sheet or a small oven-safe baking dish. Don't crowd it too much — that's what leads to steaming instead of browning.
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Drizzle the remaining half tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Slide it into the toaster oven and bake for 15 minutes.
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Pull the pan out. By now the tomatoes should be starting to burst and the gnocchi should have some golden spots. Scatter the torn mozzarella over everything, then sprinkle the Parmesan on top.
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Return the pan to the oven and bake another 6 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to get brown patches. If your toaster oven has a broil setting, you can hit it for the last minute or two — just watch it closely.
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Let it sit for two minutes. Scatter the torn basil on top and serve straight from the pan.
Notes
Shelf-stable gnocchi (the kind in a vacuum pack, not refrigerated) tends to crisp up a little better here since it's drier. Either works, though. If your toaster oven runs hot, check at 12 minutes on the first bake — some smaller models can scorch the bottoms. You can add a big handful of baby spinach to the bowl before baking if you want something green in there. Leftovers reheat well in the toaster oven at 375°F for about 8 minutes; they're better than you'd expect.
Nutrition
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Written by
Emma is a home cook who loves coaxing big flavor out of a toaster oven — from crispy roasted vegetables to easy weeknight dinners and sweet treats. She develops and tests Toastera's recipes for small-appliance kitchens.
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