The One-Tray Dinner Nobody Complains About

14 days ago

The nights you have zero energy left are exactly when this one earns its place.

We're always on the hunt for dinners that ask less of us and give more back, and this one might be the easiest yet. It's the kind of recipe that turns "what's for dinner" from a source of dread into something you're almost looking forward to, because everything happens in a single dish, in the oven, while you do literally anything else.

There's no separate pot of pasta water to watch, no draining, no juggling three things on the stove at once. The tomatoes roast down into a glossy, jammy sauce, the gnocchi cooks straight in it, and the whole thing turns golden and bubbly on top like a proper bake, minus the effort. It's forgiving, too. Toss in some spinach, whatever's wilting in the crisper, or leave out the fancier extras and it still delivers.

That's the sweet spot we're always chasing: meals that fit into the pockets of a busy day rather than demanding a clear evening. Prep it while you're half-listening to the kids talk about their day, slide it in the oven, and suddenly you've bought yourself twenty real minutes back.

Simple ingredients. Barely any washing up. A dinner that gets requested again before you've even cleared the table. Sometimes that's all you need.

Jammy Tomato and Pesto Gnocchi Bake

Ingredients

Jammy tomatoes

400g baby roma (plum) tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
60ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp sea salt flakes
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Gnocchi sauce

500g fresh gnocchi (refrigerated, not shelf-stable)
60g (¼ cup) basil pesto, plus extra to serve
185g (¾ cup) tomato passata
60ml (¼ cup) thickened (whipping/heavy) cream
½ tsp sea salt flakes
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
75g (½ cup) freshly grated mozzarella
2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil spray

To serve

Fresh basil leaves (optional)
150g burrata (optional)
Dried chilli flakes (optional)

Method

Step 1: Roast the tomatoes down Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Tip baby tomatoes, garlic, oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar and red wine vinegar straight into a baking dish and roast for around 14 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered and starting to collapse.

Step 2: Stir through the gnocchi Drop the oven temperature slightly. Add fresh gnocchi and pesto directly into the hot dish and stir it through the roasted tomatoes so every piece is coated.

Step 3: Pour in the creamy sauce Whisk together passata, cream, salt and pepper, then pour it in and around the gnocchi, leaving a little peeking through the top. This is what gives you that golden, slightly crisp finish.

Step 4: Top and bake Scatter over grated mozzarella and a light layer of panko breadcrumbs, spritz with olive oil, and bake for a further 10–12 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. A quick blast under the grill at the end takes it up another level.

Step 5: Serve and enjoy Bring it straight to the table with an extra drizzle of pesto, fresh basil, and a scatter of chilli flakes if you like a bit of heat. Tear over burrata while it's still hot for the ultimate finish, if you're feeling like upgrading the night.

Serves: 4 Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: Approximately 25 minutes

Top tip: Use fresh, refrigerated gnocchi rather than the shelf-stable kind. It cooks directly in the sauce and gives you that soft, pillowy texture without ever needing to be boiled separately.

Our Sales and Operations Manager Tea has not stopped talking about this one since she made it, so we figured it was only fair to share it with the rest of you. Give it a go and let us know how it turns out, we'd love to hear about it.

Recipe by Simple Home Edit: https://simplehomeedit.com/recipe/jammy-tomato-and-pesto-gnocchi-bake/