No Mess Meal: Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi with a Ratatouille of Roasted Vegetables

RECIPE BY LEANDRA ROUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM EMMONS

This veggie packed, single-pan gnocchi recipe is flavorful and quick to make. The components of the dish are flexible for seasonality, time on hand, and ingredients available in your pantry. It comes together beautifully with ratatouille-style roasted vegetables, perfectly crispy gnocchi, and a simple pesto.

The trick here is to oven roast the gnocchi rather than the traditional boil. The result is a crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside dumpling. We first learned about this technique from the brilliant writers at Bon Appetit. And we wanted to make a version just as appealing, with plenty of seasonal veggies.

This recipe brings out the flavors of roast vegetables and uses gnocchi dumplings as a complement to the dish, rather than the star. The veggies and gnocchi can be cooked together in the same pan, but it is best to keep them on separate sides so that the gnocchi has a chance to crispen in the olive oil, rather than get soggy in the juices of the roasted vegetables.

The pesto is vegan. It substitutes nutritional yeast for parmesan, imparting a familiar cheesy flavor, without the dairy. Again, it’s a versatile recipe where you can easily swap the kale for any hearty leafy green or the walnuts for a different nut or seed. In fact, using a pumpkin or sunflower seed would be a great way to turn the recipe nut free if needed.

This dish comes together in 30 minutes. And because it’s gnocchi with tomatoes, it’s a familiar flavor profile that will be loved by all ages. Stock your pantry with shelf stable gnocchi and never find yourself without dinner plans again.

INGREDIENTS:

1 small red onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and rough chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 yellow squash, cut into thick disks

1 fennel bulb, sliced

1 small eggplant, cut into cubes (peeling is optional)

17.6-oz. package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cups arugula

For the kale walnut pesto:

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup packed fresh parsley

2 cups packed kale

3 tablespoons walnuts, toasted

1 garlic clove, peeled

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3-6 tablespoon water, added till desired consistency

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cube the eggplant, sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside to “sweat.” This step removes any bitterness from the eggplant. Slice onions, garlic, and other vegetables and toss together on one half of a large baking sheet. Open the gnocchi and place on the other half of the baking sheet.

Using a clean dish towel or paper towel, dap the eggplant to remove all the salt and condensation. Add the dried eggplant to the veggie half of the baking sheet.

Now drizzle all veggies and gnocchi with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly cover with seasoning, but keep the gnocchi and veggies separate.

Add to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the gnocchi is golden brown. Keep an eye on the pan and toss the ingredients half way through the baking process.

While the veggies and roasting, make the pesto in a high speed blender.

Add all ingredients except olive oil and water to the blender and pulse to combine. Once combined, turn the blender on low and slowly drizzle in olive oil. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and blend on low again. Add water one tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency. (A good consistency is somewhere between a chunky spread and a thick soup.)

Use the spatula to place the pesto into a small bowl and set aside.

Remove the roast vegetables from the oven when the gnocchi is golden brown. Immediately toss with pesto and arugula.

Plate and serve hot.

Makes 8 servings.