Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables

Sheet pan gnocchi is one of my favorite vegetarian sheet pan dinners. For this recipe, I use roasted bell peppers, onion, spinach, and tender pillowy gnocchi. It’s both colorful and nutritious and it only requires about 15 minutes of hands-on time.

This sheet pan gnocchi recipe is colorful, nutritious, vegetarian (easily vegan if you want it to be) and a frequently requested meal in my home. A dinner made in 4 steps and 1 sheet pan? You bet I’ll make that all day every day. Well, maybe not every day, but you get the idea.

To keep this recipe super simple I use store-bought shelf stable gnocchi. You can also use homemade gnocchi or even sweet potato gnocchi if you happen to have some around. Then it’s as simple as tossing it onto a sheet pan with colorful bell peppers, an onion, cherry tomatoes and herbs and spices. I love the combination of basil, oregano, and thyme, but you could also just toss in some Italian seasoning to make it even easier. I stir some baby spinach in at the end for an even bigger vegetable boost, and finish with parmesan cheese, which is optional, of course.

This dinner is so weeknight friendly, but also beautiful enough for company and it makes excellent leftover desk lunches if I do say so myself.

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients You’ll Need
2. What is the Best Gnocchi for Sheet Pan Gnocchi?
3. How to Make Sheet Pan Gnocchi 
4. Ways to Make this Sheet Pan Dinner Your Own 
5. What to Serve With Sheet Pan Gnocchi
6. More Easy Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes
7. Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Gnocchi: These delightful little potato dumplings are like soft pillows of deliciousness. They are perfect for soaking up all the flavors from the vegetables as they roast. My favorite brand is called Pranzo and I buy it at Trader Joes. I prefer shelf stable gnocchi to frozen potato gnocchi in this recipe. The frozen gnocchi was still good, it was just a little chewy for my taste.
• Red bell pepper: Bursting with vibrant color red bell peppers add a delightful and subtle sweetness to this sheet pan gnocchi. They are a fantastic source of vitamin C. If you don’t have any, use store-bought or Homemade Roasted Red Peppers. If you use store-bought just stir them in at the end with the spinach to warm through.
• Yellow bell pepper: With its sunny hue and mild, slightly tangy flavor, the yellow bell pepper brings a touch of sunshine to your plate. 
• Red onion: Red onions bring a burst of roasted sweetness and a lovely pop of color to this vegetarian recipe. If you don’t have a red onion, substitute a yellow or white onion instead.
• Cherry tomatoes: Juicy and sweet, cherry tomatoes break down in the oven creating moisture and light sauce for the gnocchi.
• Garlic cloves: A kitchen staple, garlic, adds a fragrant and savory note that enhances the flavors of your favorite recipes.
• Olive oil: The liquid gold of the Mediterranean Diet, olive oil is not just a cooking essential but a flavor powerhouse. Here it’s used to roast the vegetables while adding healthy fats and a rich flavor.
• Dried oregano: This versatile herb brings a touch of earthiness and warmth adding a delightful Mediterranean flair.
• Dried basil: Fragrant and slightly sweet, dried basil adds an aromatic touch to any recipe. If you have fresh, go ahead and add it after you’ve dished up the sheet pan gnocchi into individual servings to protect the delicate flavor.
• Kosher salt: This coarse-grained salt enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients.
• Dried thyme: With its earthy and slightly floral flavor, dried thyme adds a comforting and aromatic touch.
• Red pepper flakes: For those who love a little heat, red pepper flakes are the perfect spice to add a kick to your dishes. A pinch of these fiery flakes can add a wonderful zing to this recipe. Add as much or as little as you’d like.
• Freshly ground black pepper: The unsung hero of seasoning, freshly ground black pepper adds depth, complexity and an earthy warmth to roasted vegetable dishes like this one. 
• Baby spinach: Tender and vibrant, baby spinach adds a nutritious boost to any meal. Its delicate flavor and vibrant color enhance the beauty of even simple weeknight dinners.
• Parmesan cheese: Parmesan brings a nutty, savory punch to any dish. Grated over pasta, sprinkled on salads, or shaved over roasted veggies, it adds a touch of richness and umami that takes your recipes to new heights.

What is the Best Gnocchi for Sheet Pan Gnocchi?

I tested this recipe using 3 different kinds of gnocchi (potato, sweet potato, and cauliflower) stored in 3 different ways—shelf stable, frozen, and homemade.

My favorite way to make this recipe is using shelf stable gnocchi and my favorite brand is Pranzo. It’s made in Italy and I can find it at Trader Joes. It cooked into beautiful, pillowy bites lightly coated with the sauce created by the roasting vegetables. I don’t know the science behind it but the shelf stable gnocchi just cooked to a texture I preferred for this sheet pan gnocchi recipe.

I also tried this recipe with frozen sweet potato gnocchi and frozen (regular) potato gnocchi. Both worked fine, the gnocchi cooked, but they were chewier than I preferred. If that’s what you have, go ahead and use it. I had one kid that liked the chewier gnocchi and one who didn’t.

I actually preferred the frozen cauliflower gnocchi in this recipe over the frozen potato gnocchi. They were a bit larger than the potato gnocchi, but the texture was more tender than the frozen potato gnocchi in this sheet pan recipe.

If you are an expert gnocchi maker, then by all means, make it from scratch. We have a lovely recipe for How to Make Homemade Potato Gnocchi.

If you want to try your hand at Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi we have a recipe for that too and even though I didn’t test ricotta gnocchi in this specific recipe, I’m sure it would be amazing. However, if you opt for homemade gnocchi I would still boil it first (it only takes two minutes) before roasting it on the sheet pan with the vegetables.

Ultimately, my go-to gnocchi for this recipe is shelf-stable store-bought gnocchi. It cooks well. Saves me tons of time in the kitchen on a busy weeknight when I’m running kids from one place to the next.

How to Make Sheet Pan Gnocchi 

This recipe couldn’t be easier and it only dirties a knife, cutting board, and a sheet pan. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to throw it together, and could even be prepped the night before. Let it roasts in the oven for 40 minutes and dinner is served. This recipe is so easy a teenager could do it!

• Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 425°F. 
• Mix everything together: On a large sheet pan add the gnocchi, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, basil, salt, thyme, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Use your hands to combine everything together. Make sure everything is well coated in the spices and oil. 
• Bake: Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through. Five minutes before the gnocchi and vegetables are finished, remove the sheet pan from the oven. Add the spinach and stir to combine. Return to the oven for the remaining five minutes, just until the spinach is wilted. 
• Serve: Serve with shaved parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Ways to Make this Sheet Pan Dinner Your Own 

When I first made this recipe it was a total clean out the refrigerator situation. I used what I had and then improvised. You can and should feel free to do the same. Here are a few more ideas to make this sheet pan gnocchi your own.

• Use in Season Vegetables: Use thinly sliced fennel, cubed butternut squash, and kale for a fall inspired version of sheet pan gnocchi. In the spring use asparagus and radish and for summertime try zucchini and green beans–check out our Pesto Gnocchi with Summer Veggies for more summertime inspiration. 
• Experiment with Gnocchi: This recipe calls for a pretty standard potato gnocchi, but you could also use cauliflower gnocchi, butternut squash gnocchi, or ricotta gnocchi. 
• Swap the Seasonings: I have an Italian vibe going in this recipe, but you could also head over to France and sprinkle these veggies with a little Herbs de Provence. You could also go Greek, add a little lemon zest, some Greek oregano and a touch of rosemary. 
• Change up the Cheese: I used Parmesan cheese, but I’ve also made this and served it on top of a bed of ricotta drizzled with olive oil when I’m feeling fancy. Or pile everything onto a platter and put a gooey round of burrata right in the center. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Or crumble the whole shebang with goat cheese. It will melt and get creamy as it warms.

What to Serve With Sheet Pan Gnocchi

The beauty of sheet pan gnocchi is that it’s a complete meal in one dish. But when dinner is this easy, you might as well make dessert!

While the gnocchi and vegetables are roasting in the oven, prepare cinnamon-scented Baked Apples. As soon as the sheet pan dinner is cooked to perfection remove it from the oven and place the baked apples in it.

Let it bake while you enjoy dinner. Or keep it super simple and just make a colorful fruit salad to wrap up the evening.

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