Garlicky pan-fried gnocchi is tossed with roasted cherry tomatoes and chickpeas in this simple but flavorful weeknight meal. This recipe comes together in just under 30 minutes and is super easy to make!
This is the dish that made me fall in love with gnocchi. Crisp, pan-fried buttery gnocchi tossed with roasted cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and a lot of garlic. What's not to love?
In all seriousness, gnocchi is a really convenient carb to add to dinners. It only takes a few minutes to pan-fry and has a soft, pillowy texture accented by golden brown char marks. It's especially delicious when pan-fried in butter (or baked in the oven!), as we do with this recipe.
Recipe features
- Quick & easy: Ready in just 30 minutes using less than 10 ingredients.
- Flavorful: Bursting with flavor from butter, roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a whole lot of garlic.
- Versatile: Gnocchi is simple enough for weeknight dinners and interesting enough to serve at dinner parties.
This cherry tomato gnocchi is heavily inspired by my cherry tomato pasta sauce and my favorite tomato soup, which both use a similar method of roasting tomatoes to concentrate their flavor.
Ingredients
- Gnocchi: Choose dry gnocchi. Dry gnocchi is often made from a combination of potato and semolina flour, whereas fresh gnocchi is made with mostly potato. I usually buy the DeLallo brand but sometimes store brand is also available.
- Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. I usually use grape tomatoes because they are easier to find and usually less expensive than cherry, but both work.
- Extra virgin olive oil and butter: Yes, we are using two types of fats! This recipe can easily be made vegan with vegan butter. I recommend using unsalted butter.
- Garlic: Fresh sliced garlic makes the gnocchi super garlicky. Adjust to taste. Garlic powder does not work in this recipe.
- Chickpeas: Use a can of chickpeas or cook chickpeas from dry. White beans are another good option.
- Basil: Fresh basil ties all of the flavors and ingredients together. Don't skip this ingredient!
Step by step instructions
In an 8x8 or similarly sized baking dish, toss together the cherry tomatoes, half of the sliced garlic, a can of chickpeas, olive oil, and salt. The cherry tomatoes will roast in the style of feta pasta, just without the feta or the pasta.
Roast at 400F for 20-25 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes burst. Because of the juices from the tomatoes, the chickpeas will not be crispy like air fryer chickpeas but will instead be garlicky and salty.
The gnocchi only takes about 10 minutes to pan-fry, so I don't recommend cooking it until about halfway through the cherry tomato timer.
- Melt butter over medium-high heat. I use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet but any tall-walled skillet works well.
- Pan-fry the gnocchi in melted butter over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, until softened and turning golden on some sides.
- Add the remaining garlic and chopped basil. Cook another 1-2 minutes. The basil will wilt and the garlic should become golden and aromatic.
- Add the roasted cherry tomatoes etc. to the gnocchi. Stir to combine.
Garnish with additional fresh basil, freshly ground black pepper, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Storage and leftovers
- Leftovers: Store leftover gnocchi and tomatoes in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days for best quality.
- Reheating: Single servings can be reheated in the microwave in just about 2 minutes. Reheat on the stove-top over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning and overcooking the gnocchi.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can use fresh gnocchi but note that it will cook much more quickly than dry gnocchi.
No! Dry gnocchi package instructions usually say to boil it, but I find that this can make gnocchi mushy. Pan-frying gnocchi for just 8-10 minutes will cook it all the way through and adds crispy char.
Yes, you can use an equal amount of olive oil to pan-fry the gnocchi. I do think the butter flavor adds a lot to the dish, but olive oil is a good heart-healthy substitute to butter.
Although potatoes are the main ingredient in gnocchi, flour is often used as a binder. That being said, there are gluten-free gnocchis available at my grocery store right next to the regular gnocchi, so this dish can easily be made gluten-free by using GF gnocchi.
Looking for similar recipes?
This gnocchi goes well with a side arugula salad. Here are a few more of my favorite pasta dishes:
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📖 Recipe
Gnocchi with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 4-5 cloves garlic thinly sliced; adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 ounces dry gnocchi
- ¼ cup roughly chopped basil plus more for garnishing
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In an 8x8 or similarly sized baking dish, toss together the cherry tomatoes, the can of drained chickpeas, half of the sliced garlic, olive oil, and salt.
- Roast at 400F on the middle oven rack for 20-25 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes are shriveled and starting to burst.
- The gnocchi only takes about 10 minutes to pan-fry, so I don't recommend cooking it until about halfway through the cherry tomato timer. Start by melting butter in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the gnocchi. Pan-fry the gnocchi for about 8 minutes, until softened and turning golden. Stir as needed for even cooking.
- Add the remaining garlic and chopped basil. Cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the roasted tomatoes and chickpeas. Taste for salt. Serve garnished with additional fresh basil, freshly ground black pepper, and grated parmesan. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Gnocchi: Do not boil the gnocchi before pan-frying it. If using fresh gnocchi, note that it will cook much more quickly than dry gnocchi.
- Leftovers: Store leftover gnocchi and tomatoes in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days for best quality.
- Reheating: Single servings can be reheated in the microwave in just about 2 minutes. Reheat on the stove-top over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning and overcooking the gnocchi.
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