This tomato-basil gnocchi gratin is a feel-good comfort food meal that can go from stove to table in about 20 minutes!
tomato-basil gnocchi gratin

Because who has the strength to stand in front of the stove for an hour on a Monday?

Or on a Sunday after twelve too many glasses of wine the night before.

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Public service announcement: making the wise decision to not participate in five rounds of sake bombing will almost certainly be canceled out when you choose to reward yourself for your good life choices with red wine. (But the polyphenols!)

Don’t learn this the hard way.

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The good news is that no matter the cause of your cooking ennui – whether it be a raging headache and slight nausea for which the only cure is a layer of broiled melty cheese and a large steaming mug of coffee, back-to-work exhaustion, or a table of picky eaters – this gratin is for you.

Although, I must say “gratin” is slightly misleading, being that this dish is tomato sauce-based and a total feel good food that gets its hit of indulgence from a sprinkling of cheese on top.

And that’s how I like most of my dinners. Healthy with a hint of moderation.

Based on how well this went over with The.Boy, who went to town on the leftovers and ate them straight out of the baking dish. I think you will too.

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Tomato-Basil Gnocchi Gratin
 
This tomato-basil gnocchi gratin is a feel-good comfort food meal that can go from stove to table in about 20 minutes!
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb vacuum-packed gnocchi
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups tomato sauce (I used the roasted vegetable tomato sauce from Whole Foods)
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • 2 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Set a pot of salted water to boil.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion with a pinch of salt and saute until starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add in the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
  3. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook until they start to float. Scoop them out with a skimmer or slotted spoon, and add them to the pan with the sauce. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the basil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  4. Turn on the broiler. Pour the tomato-gnocchi mix into a 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and broil until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Let cool for five minutes before serving.
Notes

For more gnocchi in your life, check out these:

Summer Vegetable Gnocchi

Whole Wheat Carrot Gnocchi with Peas, Butternut Squash, and Ricotta

Gnocchi with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Lemon and Pine Nuts from Oh My Veggies!

Baked Gnocchi with Ricotta from Taste and Tell

Crispy Gnocchi with Basil Pesto from Two Peas and Their Pod

Garlic Bread Crusted Gnocchi Mac ‘n’ Cheese from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

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70 Responses to Tomato-Basil Gnocchi Gratin

  1. Such a quick and easy weeknight dinner… my family would love this!

  2. Oh that looks amazing. I could dig right in right now even though it’s 7 am. Sounds perfect!
    Have a beautiful Monday!

  3. I have been dying to try gnocchi, and yours looks divine. Pinning this recipe for a day after I make some questionable life choices 🙂

  4. There is not a single thing that I don’t love about this dish. Perfection!

  5. Oh hope you are feeling better later! Nothing like an easy dinner to make a rough Monday better.

  6. Such good comfort food right here!! So many things I love in one dish – and I LOVE how quick and easy it is. Pinning this one to try! xo

  7. I am sooo down with gratinated gnocci! Love this!

  8. Bring on the carbs! I love gnocchi and cannot think of a better way to handle Monday night dinner!

  9. Monica says:

    Boy, this looks so good and sounds so easy to put together! I wouldn’t want to wait and I’d dig right into the baking dish too.

  10. Deena Kakaya says:

    Comforting, rich, deep…and easy! X

  11. Now that is comfort food and love how easy it is to pull together!

  12. cheri says:

    I love gnocchi, and this dish with the homemade sauce is gorgeous!

  13. Shashi says:

    Delicious sounding! Healthy indeed – but I think I need pointers on sticking to moderation on this dish!

  14. Oh yum! I am such a gnocchi fan and this dish is practically begging for me to make it!! Soo good 🙂

  15. Gnocchi is definitely my favorite kind of pasta because it is so satisfying and cooks faster than any other pasta. Love this dish.

  16. Tahnycooks says:

    You’re hilarious! This looks fantastic, and of course it would be the perfect comfort food for any type of cure thats needed!

  17. I might just need to add this to my meal plan this week! I love quick and easy gnocchi!

  18. KAREN says:

    I could eat this for breakfast!

  19. I love meals like this! It looks delicious!!!

    Also – I am wincing just hearing about sake bombs. I had sake once and it was so, so not my drink!

  20. If only I had seen this yesterday evening ( because my wine day is on Saturday hehe)… Oh man, anything involving lots of tomato sauce and cheese is a winner in my book. I love this!

  21. danielle says:

    Definitely my kind of comfort food.

  22. Can’t believe this just took 20 minutes to prepare! It looks super duper delicious!

  23. Oh my gosh .. this is comfort food heaven! The weather is grey and dreary here and has zapped all my energy and this is all I want for dinner tonight now! Gorgeous pics too!

  24. Pam says:

    Simply delicious. My whole family would really love this recipe. It looks hearty and comforting without all the guilt.

  25. Yes, yes, yes to easy weeknight meals!

  26. Tara says:

    Meow- the very definition of comfort food! I remember when I was younger the thought of gnocchi terrified me. Potato looking pasta? What?! After trying a plate covered in pesto and pine nuts I was gnocchi’s number one fan!

  27. Serena says:

    Anything baked in a casserole dish even though it’s in the over a few mintues …WITH cheese…is my kinda comfort food! Too much sake…too much red wine. Sorry. And yes this RD says the polyphenols count for something!

  28. I am all for quick and easy dishes. This looks super fantastic!

  29. Lisa says:

    I could eat that right out of the dish too. Seems I always end up hungry when I visit your site, and if I visit with an appetite, well, the next thing you know, I am raiding the pantry and the fridge. Lovely!

  30. Eileen says:

    Oh yes! I would have no problem stuffing my face with this for dinner any night of the week. I can also guarantee that someone would be eating some of the crispy cheese bits of the top of the pan besides. 🙂

  31. Corina says:

    This looks so good – I want to make gnocchi now!

  32. Kate says:

    This looks like it would be a fantastic accompaniment to red wine. (too soon?)

  33. Josie says:

    I have put this on my weekly menu SO many times, and it always gets pushed off for one reason or another. Now I’m totally kicking myself for not getting to it sooner. Will remedy, stat!!

  34. Lynn says:

    This looks delish! And a good cure-all, I’m sure. 🙂

  35. I am all about the 20 min meal and this screams cozy comfort food (perfect since I’m currently in Chicago and it’s snowing!!!!!)

  36. Jessie says:

    You party animal! I’m sorry to hear about your post-party headache (although I’m happy about this awesome recipe – gratin all the way!). Also, I need to work the phrase “sake bombing” into my conversations immediately.

    Have a great week, Joanne!

  37. Julia says:

    It’s been fooooorever since I’ve done a sake bomb! I normally choose red wine above all my other boozy friends, but I could go for a round of all-you-can-eat sushi and some sake bombing…fingers crossed I somehow develop an immunity to post sake bomb hangover.

    This gnocchi gratin looks like the perfect hangover cure. Delicious, m’lady!

  38. Love that this soup goes together so quickly! And it looks creamy, flavourful and delicious!

  39. Megan says:

    This dish is making me want to break out a bottle of red wine! Total comfort food.

  40. I would eat this right out of the baking dish too.

  41. Kelsey says:

    GIRL! This looks so good. The pictures are lovely!

  42. YUm this looks so good, we can eat the entire pound of gnocchi right now.

  43. I think I found my new life motto: Healthy with a hint of moderation!! Starting with this gnocchi of course 🙂

  44. Rachel Cooks says:

    I want to dive head first into that.

  45. This recipe is right up my alley! Just the perfect amount of cheesiness and I love tomato & basil sauce aaaaand gnocchi! Yay!

  46. Omg. 12? I would have been done in for after 2! I would eat this straight out of the baking dish, too. Ain’t nobody got time for plates when food is this good.

  47. This gnocchi looks so dreamy. Need it! Also–12 glasses of wine? I would have been out cold, haha.

  48. This is a perfect Sunday night supper after a busy weekend!

  49. I’m glad this isn’t like traditional gratins – your version looks much nicer than the standard variety!

  50. Nothing has ever looked quite so saucy, italian and delicious before I swear 😛

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  51. Krista says:

    Oh wow, Joanne, this looks absolutely luscious!! I want a whole heaping bowl to myself right this very minute. 🙂

  52. Katerina says:

    I love such quick and easy meals. they make my life so much easier!

  53. Johanna GGG says:

    that is comfort food at its best – gnocchi sounds great – the sake bombing and red wine sounds like you needed some comfort

  54. Kathryn says:

    Love me a big bowl of gnocchi especially when it’s dressed up with some tomato + basil.

  55. Deborah says:

    I have recently fallen in love with gnocchi bakes. LOVE this!!

  56. Adri says:

    I love gnocchi, and this sounds like an absolutely delicious way to serve them. Complimenti!

  57. now I forgot what I was going to say.
    LOL
    glad it’s fixed now!
    xoxo!

  58. Oh man nothing cures a case of excess-wine-loving like a big dish of cheesy carbs! You are speaking my language!

  59. Christina says:

    My go to comfort meal right here. I’ll take the ten glasses of wine with it 🙂

  60. Christine says:

    So glad to see your blog is working. Got a server error (or something) window this AM.
    I must remember not to read your blog before dinner. This looks incredible and now I’m starving! 😉 Did you use the Trader Joe’s vacuum packed gnocchi? Wondered how you liked it if you did.

  61. Sounds like a delicious and quick meal.

  62. Yum, I love a simple recipe I can make in no time. I definitely need more of this in my life. I have all the ingredients at home, so I think I know what will be my dinner tonight!

  63. JoAnn Schutzius says:

    Just made this dish for my family – extra easy and sooooooooooooooo delish!!!! Thank you for this wonderful dish.

  64. Reeni says:

    I definitely would! Eat the leftovers straight from the pan. 🙂 This is the best kind of comfort food!

  65. Simple Italian comfort food – this looks great!

  66. Italian Eats says:

    […] 1. Tomato Basil Gnocchi Gratin […]

  67. Pebble Soup says:

    judging by the number of comments this is one popular recipe. I am going to try it tonight

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