Recipes · Main dishes

Gnocchi Bake with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Name: Gnocchi Bake with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion finely diced; 2 clove garlic finely chopped; 700 g (1.5 lb) tomato passata or strained tomatoes; crushed tomatoes, blended smooth, also work; 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) water; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 pinch sugar; 1 tsp salt; black pepper to taste; 800 g (1.8 lb) potato gnocchi ready-made, two 14 oz (400 g) packs; 250 g (8.8 oz) fresh mozzarella 2 balls, drained; 30 g (1.1 oz) Parmesan finely grated; use a hard cheese made without animal rennet if you eat strictly vegetarian; 0.5 bunch fresh basil

AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested

Ready-made gnocchi are already cooked and go straight into the dish. They soak up liquid as they bake, so the sauce should look a little thin when you pour it in, or the bake turns dry.

Serves 4
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Rest 5 min
Total 55 min
easy

Gnocchi Bake with Tomatoes and Mozzarella — AI-generated image

This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.

Ingredients

Convert cups to grams →

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely diced
2 clove garlic finely chopped
700 g (1.5 lb) tomato passata or strained tomatoes; crushed tomatoes, blended smooth, also work
100 ml (3.4 fl oz) water
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pinch sugar
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
800 g (1.8 lb) potato gnocchi ready-made, two 14 oz (400 g) packs
250 g (8.8 oz) fresh mozzarella 2 balls, drained
30 g (1.1 oz) Parmesan finely grated; use a hard cheese made without animal rennet if you eat strictly vegetarian
0.5 bunch fresh basil

Method

Heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C) conventional, or 350 °F (180 °C) convection. Have a 9 × 12-inch (22 × 30 cm) baking dish ready.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion in it for 3 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic for 30 seconds.
Add the passata, water, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer the sauce gently for 8 minutes. It should still pour easily.
Put the gnocchi straight from the package into the dish, pour the sauce over and stir so that no gnocchi sits dry. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil. Tear the mozzarella into pieces, scatter it over the bake together with the Parmesan and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted, shows golden spots and the sauce bubbles at the edge. A gnocchi from the middle should be soft.
Let the bake rest for 5 minutes so the sauce can thicken a little. Tear the basil roughly and scatter it over the top before serving.

Tip: Drain the mozzarella well and pat it dry with paper towels. Otherwise the sauce turns watery and the cheese barely browns.

Tip: Gnocchi packages differ in weight and ingredients, and some contain egg or milk. Check the ingredient list before you buy.