Description
A delicious Mediterranean-inspired dish featuring creamy melted feta cheese and burst cherry tomatoes tossed with tender gnocchi. This easy one-dish meal combines tangy feta, sweet tomatoes, and aromatic garlic for a comforting and flavorful dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound Gnocchi (store-bought)
- 8 oz block Feta cheese
- 2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare oven and dish: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease an oven-safe baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Combine tomatoes and garlic: In the baking dish, mix halved cherry tomatoes and minced garlic. Coat thoroughly with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add feta and season: Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the dish. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake until golden: Bake for about 25 minutes until tomatoes burst and release juices, and feta develops golden edges.
- Cook gnocchi: While baking, cook gnocchi according to package instructions in salted boiling water. Drain thoroughly when done.
- Create sauce: Once baked, use a fork to mash the feta and tomatoes into a creamy, chunky sauce directly in the baking dish.
- Combine and serve: Toss in cooked gnocchi until evenly coated with the creamy sauce. Garnish with fresh basil before serving immediately.
Notes
- Use block feta instead of crumbled for better melting and creamier texture results
- Start cooking gnocchi when feta has 8-10 minutes left in oven for perfect timing
- Drain gnocchi thoroughly as excess water will dilute the sauce
- Reserve pasta cooking water to thin sauce if it becomes too thick during mixing
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 485 calories
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 890mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: baked feta gnocchi, Mediterranean recipe, easy dinner, one dish meal, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, comfort food