Cheesy Tomato Gnocchi Bake (no boil)

• No need to boil the gnocchi first! I wanted to make an easy baked gnocchi recipe without boiling the gnocchi first. I like to keep things simple and avoid dirtying extra dishes if I don't have to. This gnocchi bake with tomatoes and cheese works perfectly to cook the gnocchi.
• A one-pan meal! It's all made in one pan! There's no need to cook gnocchi separately. It will cook in the sauce as it bubbles away, leaving tender little pillows of potato pasta.
• Make it gluten-free or even meatless! This skillet meal is incredibly easy to adapt to your family's tastes or diet. Avoiding gluten? Ready-made gluten-free gnocchi is available (and it's good!) Want a meatless meal? Leave it out, or use plant-based meat instead (also good!)
• Cozy comfort food. This creamy tomato gnocchi bake makes a cozy comfort food meal for those dark and drizzly nights but it's a good choice for an easy summer dinner, too. It's warm, it's full of rich tomato flavour and it has healthy spinach and red peppers hidden inside. Best of all, it's topped with melty Mozzarella!

And there's more! If you need more gluten-free gnocchi recipe ideas, try these

• Sheet Pan Roasted Gnocchi with Fall Vegetables
• Easy Vegetarian Pesto Gnocchi
• Italian Vegetable Gnocchi Soup

Like easy one-pan meals as much as I do? Try this Feta Tomato Pasta Bake or Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Casserole.

lf you've been trying to add more meatless meals into your weekly menus, check out this collection of Meatless Meals--You Won't Miss the Meat! You might also like this fiery Arrabbiata Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes for your next pasta night.

gnocchi: Did you know you can buy gluten-free gnocchi? If you don't make your own gnocchi, you probably know that you can purchase it in a shelf-stable form. The gnocchi I used for this recipe comes in a vacuum pack. While not all supermarkets near me carry the gluten-free variety, I've found it in artisan markets and whole food stores. Look for it in the pasta aisle or in the deli department.

plant-based ground beef: If you've been shying away from plant-based meat, like Beyond Meat, I urge you to try it. I like the flavour and texture and I actually prefer it to beef. It's made with pea protein with no soy, no gluten, and no genetically modified ingredients. This is not a sponsored post. I just like the product. Of course, you can substitute ground beef or ground chicken or cooked Italian sausage. You do you!

canned fire-roasted tomatoes: while you could use regular canned diced tomatoes in this recipe, the fire-roasted ones add a lot of fabulous flavour.

smoked paprika: Again, you could substitute regular paprika, but smoked paprika takes this dish from good to great! It's totally worth buying a jar or tin of smoked paprika and once you try it, you'll be wanting to add it to everything.

sugar: a teaspoon of sugar may seem like an odd ingredient in this recipe, but it's a must. It cuts the acidity of the tomatoes, resulting in a dish with a more balanced flavour. If you don't use sugar in your cooking, you can use a sugar substitute like Monkfruit sweetener, or even honey.

spinach: I use prewashed baby spinach. If you use frozen spinach, defrost it first before adding it to the pan.

sour cream: you could make this dish richer by subbing in mascarpone cheese if you have some left from making these Mulled Cinnamon Orange Pears with Mascarpone!

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Dice the onions and red bell pepper, mince the garlic, open the can of tomatoes, slice the cheese and measure out the remaining ingredients. Now you're ready to cook!

You'll need a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed oven-proof skillet at least 10 inches in diameter. You'll prepare the whole casserole in the skillet, (no boiling of the gnocchi is necessary) then transfer it to the oven to finish baking and melt the cheese.

• Sauté the onions and bell peppers just until softened.
• Add the ground "beef" (or whatever type of meat you're using.) (You can make this recipe without any meat if you'd like.) Break up the meat with a spatula and cook until completely browned. Stir in the minced garlic and let it brown slightly.
• Next, add the tomato paste and stir to combine, then add the canned fire-roasted tomatoes.
• Now it's time to add the gnocchi. Since you normally cook gnocchi in water, you'll need to add ½ cup of water to the sauce to help the gnocchi cook.

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently in the microwave or covered in the oven at 350°F. for 10-20 minutes or until heated through.

Dishes made with gnocchi do not freeze particularly well. The gnocchi becomes mushy and breaks down, so devour this dish while it's fresh!