This effortless gnocchi and pasta sauce dish will take the burden out of cooking

This is a dish that’s as effortless as it is irresistible.

Simple baked gnocchi makes a mid-week dinner easy. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

During the working week, I’m all about taking the path of least resistance. When the hours between school pickup (or laptops down) and dinner feel impossibly short, romance gives way to necessity. This is where short cuts come in – not as a compromise, but as a lifeline. We shouldn’t be ashamed of them; we should embrace them. Sometimes, a step up is all we need.

Take baked gnocchi. Here’s a mid-week play on the classic dish gnocchi alla Sorrentina. I love making gnocchi from scratch, but that’s reserved for slow weekend pottering. Midweek, I reach for store-bought gnocchi and a good-quality jar of pasta sauce for a quick but showstopping dish.

Last year, The New York Times called jarred pasta sauce a “pantry workhorse” – and for good reason. The garlic and onion are already softened, the tomatoes simmered down to a rich, deep base. It’s a shortcut that brings depth and complexity without hours on the stove. Look for a good one that focuses on quality ingredients rather than unnecessary preservatives or excessive sugar. This is a dish that’s as effortless as it is irresistible.

Use good-quality store-bought gnocchi to speed things up in the kitchen

This gnocchi bake is super easy. Photos: Nikki To / TWAM

Store-bought gnocchi can vary, but I generally prefer the fridge-ready kind. Depending on yours, you may need to add a splash more water as it cooks. Aim for a loose sauce; keep in mind it will thicken as it bubbles under the grill. Feel free to throw any extras such as fried sausage or pancetta to jazz things up.

Quick baked gnocchi

Ingredients

• 500ml good-quality tomato and basil pasta sauce

• 500g store-bought gnocchi

• ½ teaspoon dried chilli (optional)

• 2 sprigs basil

• 125g smoked mozzarella or fresh mozzarella

• 40g loosely packed Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan

• 100g burrata or stracciatella cheese 

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil



Meethod

1. Place a 26-30cm ovenproof frying pan over medium-low heat and pour in the pasta sauce. Fill the jar with 1 cup of water and shake. Pour that into the pan along with the dried chilli, if using. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
2. Meanwhile, break the gnocchi up – it can clump together in the packet. Once the sauce is simmering hot, add the gnocchi and settle into one layer. Slip in one basil sprig. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender. If the sauce thickens too much as the gnocchi absorb liquid, add an extra splash of water to loosen it.
3. Meanwhile, turn your grill to its highest setting. Once the gnocchi is just cooked, remove the pan from the heat and scatter over the mozzarella. Finish with a generous handful of Parmigiano Reggiano and transfer the pan under the grill for 5-8 minutes, until golden, bubbling and irresistible.
4. Let it sit for a few minutes before spooning over torn burrata or stracciatella. Finish with a good grating of lemon zest, the remaining fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 3-4