Meatless Meal Idea: Baked Gnocchi and Butternut Squash May Be My Favorite Sheet Pan Dinner!
Sheet pan dinners are the best, and you have to try this meatless meal idea that I’m calling sheet pan gnocchi & veggies!
If you’re a fan of easy pasta dinners for the family, listen up!
This colorful sheet pan gnocchi dish brings in all the warm and cozy vibes of fall in a one-pan meal that’s super quick to toss together for busy weeknights.
The pre-packaged potato gnocchi doesn’t even have to be boiled first and roasts up beautifully in the oven. I used chopped butternut squash which is one of my favorite roasted veggies to utilize this time of year.
Everything gets combined on a sheet pan with lots of olive oil, and once finished baking, you have a caramelized delicious homemade meatless meal with only one dish to wash afterwards! The potato gnocchi is super comforting and I personally loved the roasted texture!
Tips for making the BEST sheet pan gnocchi meal:
- Wondering where to buy shelf-stable gnocchi? I was able to easily find packages in the dried pasta aisle of my local grocery store. They will usually come in a one-pound pouch.
- The sheet pan meal takes a few minutes to toss together, however cutting the butternut squash is a more labor-intensive task. If you’re short on time, you can see if your store carries the pre-chopped variety! Make sure to cut the pieces pretty small into about 3/4 inch cubes, so that they will roast a little faster.
- I got out my parchment paper to first cover my sheet pan and then forgot to put it on! 😂 So if you’d like a quicker clean-up, don’t forget that step.
- Choose the veggies you love. If butternut squash isn’t your thing, try asparagus, Brussels sprouts, fresh green beans, eggplant, zucchini, or any others that sound appealing to you! Also, feel free to change up the seasonings as desired too.
- After baking, be sure to smash some of those yummy tomatoes to create a sort of garlic olive oil “sauce”! I loved plating this pasta with freshly grated parmesan cheese, as that really adds some yummy flavor and texture too.
- I think the addition of smoked sausage would taste great if you wanted to add meat to this vegetarian meal idea.
- Leftovers should last for a few days in the fridge stored in a covered container. The leftovers are yummy the next day, so plan to save some extra on hand for an easy lunch!
Sheet Pan Gnocchi & Butternut Squash
yield: 4 SERVINGS
prep time: 10 MINUTES
cook time: 35 MINUTES
total time: 45 MINUTES
Tender caramelized veggies and gnocchi roasted in olive oil and herbs make up this easy and comforting sheet pan meal all will love!
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized butternut squash, cut into small cubes
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 16 oz. shelf-stable potato gnocchi
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- fresh grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep a large sheet pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
2
Chop the squash, onion, bell pepper, and garlic and add to the sheet pan along with tomatoes and gnocchi.
3
Toss all with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and fresh sage.
4
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until everything is tender and caramelized. Use a spatula to toss the sheet pan ingredients midway through cooking. Plate with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
This may be the BEST sheet pan meal I have ever had! 😍
I love simple, inexpensive meals like this. Even though sheet pan gnocchi is a meatless meal, I think you’ll find it hearty and super comforting. It also reheats well the next day for leftovers.
I honestly love the crispy texture so much better from roasting the gnocchi that I may never go back to boiling. I love how it is tender on the inside and caramelized on the outside. 😋
My teammate Jenna made my sheet pan gnocchi and here’s her review:
“WOW…just wow! What a beautiful dish that is so full of flavor! And guess what? It reheats nicely too! I love a good sheet pan meal, and I can honestly say this one is my favorite too, just as Lina said. Every ingredient really shines in this dish, that I want to make it again and again. Everyone here loved it, so I actually ended up making this twice in one week, it’s THAT good!”
Costco carries butternut squash that is cut up! Perfect for recipes & soup.
Yes, I love that and have bought it before! That’d be great for this.
We make this all the time in our house! I actually do cubed sweet potatoes in place of the butternut (I cook them a little ahead of time then add the rest). And I throw asparagus on too. We all loooove this!
Great idea! Sounds yum. Thanks for sharing!
Would gnocchi containing pumpkin be good?
Oh that sounds delish!
Could you use frozen veggies instead? I roast those all the time but not sure how it would work alongside the gnocchi.
I have a cauliflower frozen gnocchi from Trader Joes I love. I wonder how that would do being frozen and roasting? I might have to try because this recipe looks amazing! THANKS!!!!
Oh that could be wonderful I would think!
This was delicious, but I made some changes.
I used half the amount of oil because that was more than enough. I think I’ll only use 1Tbsp next time I make it.
I used frozen sweet potato gnocchi and just put it frozen on the pan.
I didn’t have fresh tomatoes so drained a can of diced tomatoes.
My family thought it was delicious!
Thanks for sharing! Glad it was a hit. 💕
I want to try this!! Thanks for the meatless idea!
Anyone try with frozen cubed butternut squash?
So I made homemade gnocchi today… should I still boil it or do I just bake it with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe? Can’t wait to try this 🙂
Oh wow! Well I would think you can just roast with the rest of recipe. Enjoy!
Lina can I just say WOW you’ve done it again! Keep these good recipes coming. I made it exactly how it’s written and the whole family loved it!
Oh yay that’s awesome! Thanks for coming back to let us know!
We cook similar roasted vegetables frequently at our house. Haven’t tried gnocchi yet but it looks great. Very often, I add drained and rinsed canned chickpeas. The chickpeas toast up nicely and adds protein.
Oh love that idea! Yum!