This Homemade Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Cheese is a simple Italian-style dinner made with soft potato gnocchi, a quick garlic and basil tomato sauce, and a blanket of melted mozzarella and Parmesan baked until bubbling.

The gnocchi stay tender inside, and the cheese gets golden in spots under the broiler.

It’s a solid weeknight dinner, a crowd-friendly meatless option, and a good one to make with kids who like helping roll the dough. I like serving it with a big green salad, and the basics on shaping the dough are in my homemade potato gnocchi recipe if you want extra tips.

If you like cheesy tomato pasta dinners, these are good ones to save:

Homemade Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Cheese

Ingredients You’ll Need

Whole canned San Marzano or plum tomatoes crushed by hand give the tomato sauce a sweeter, fresher taste than pre-crushed cans. Use low-moisture mozzarella for the top, since fresh mozzarella releases water and can make the dish soupy.

Ingredients

2 lbs russet potatoes (about 3 large)
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bake the potatoes whole at 400F for 50 to 60 minutes, pricking them with a fork first.
They should be very tender all the way through.
Baking keeps the potatoes dry, so the dough needs less flour and the gnocchi turn out lighter.
While the potatoes bake, start the tomato sauce.
Warm the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
Cook gently for 2 minutes until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant (don’t let it brown).
Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juice, then add the sugar, oregano, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Simmer the sauce uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until it’s thick and slightly reduced.
Stir in the torn basil at the end and taste for seasoning.
Turn off the heat and set it aside while you make the gnocchi.
If it tastes a little sharp, add the sugar now, since some canned tomatoes are more acidic than others.
Scoop the hot potato flesh out of the skins and push it through a ricer onto a clean counter.
Spread it out and let it cool for 10 minutes so the steam escapes.
Sprinkle with salt, add the beaten egg, and scatter 1 cup of flour on top.
Gently fold everything together with a bench scraper, adding a little more flour only until the dough stops sticking.
Cut the dough into 6 pieces and roll each into a 3/4-inch rope on a floured surface.
Slice into 3/4-inch pillows and roll them over a fork if you want ridges.
Lay them on a floured baking sheet so they don’t stick together.
The rolling and cutting take a while on the first try, honestly, but they don’t have to look perfect.
Set the oven to broil with a rack about 6 inches from the heat.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi in batches until they float, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Lift them out with a slotted spoon straight into the skillet of tomato sauce.
Don’t worry about a little cooking water coming along with them, because it helps loosen the sauce.
Keep the batches small so the water stays at a boil and the gnocchi don’t clump together.
Toss the gnocchi gently in the sauce over low heat for 1 minute so they’re fully coated.
Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top, then finish with the Parmesan.
Slide the skillet under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and browned in spots.
Watch it the whole time, since broilers go from golden to burnt in under a minute.
Let it rest for 5 minutes, then scatter with fresh basil and serve hot. Enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Use an oven-safe skillet. Cast iron or stainless steel can go from stovetop to broiler without dirtying a second dish. If your skillet has a plastic handle, transfer everything to a baking dish before broiling.
Crush tomatoes by hand. Squeezing whole tomatoes through your fingers gives the sauce a nicer, chunkier texture than a blender. Wear an apron, because they squirt.
Low-moisture mozzarella melts best. It browns nicely and doesn’t make the dish watery. Shred it yourself from a block for the smoothest melt.
Don’t over-flour the dough. Too much flour makes dense, chewy gnocchi. Stop as soon as the dough holds together and only sticks a little.
Test one gnocchi before shaping. Boil one small piece. If it falls apart, add another tablespoon or two of flour to the dough.
Shortcut with store-bought. A 1-pound package of shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi works great on busy nights. Use two packages to match this recipe.
Thick sauce is better here. A runny tomato sauce makes the baked gnocchi soupy. Simmer it until a spoon dragged through leaves a clear trail for a second.
Season the cooking water well. Gnocchi absorb salt as they boil, and it’s your only chance to season the inside. The water should taste pleasantly salty, like mild seawater.
Make ahead and bake later. Assemble the gnocchi, sauce, and cheese in a baking dish, cover, and refrigerate up to 1 day. Bake at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes, then broil to brown.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving Serve this cheesy tomato gnocchi straight from the skillet while the cheese is still stretchy. A simple arugula or Caesar salad and some garlic bread make it a full dinner. Extra basil and a drizzle of good olive oil on top finish it off.

Storing Cover leftovers tightly or move them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The gnocchi will absorb some of the sauce and soften slightly overnight. Reheat in a 375F oven for 15 minutes so the cheese melts again, rather than in the microwave.

Customizing Stir in cooked Italian sausage or browned ground beef to make it heartier. Add a few handfuls of baby spinach to the sauce right before the gnocchi go in, or swap half the mozzarella for dollops of ricotta. For a spicy version, double the red pepper flakes or use arrabbiata sauce.