I threw this meal together on one of those nights—you know the kind. Nothing exciting in the fridge, but dinner still needs to happen. Somehow, with a little pantry magic and a few staples, it turned into something so good I had to write it down. Sheet pan gnocchi with shrimp, tomatoes, asparagus, and pesto—simple, vibrant, and absolutely foolproof.
This dish is flexible enough for a casual weeknight meal but can easily be dressed up. Skip the burrata if it’s just a Tuesday night with the family, or keep it in for an effortlessly elegant dinner with friends. Either way, all you have to do is toss everything on a sheet pan, let the oven do the work, and pat yourself on the back while it roasts. (You could even sneak in a quick shower like I did—no one will ever know.)
I love this for spring and summer because it works warm or cold. The hot roasted gnocchi and shrimp contrast beautifully with the cool, creamy burrata, or you can serve it as a chilled salad for a refreshing twist.
For this version, I grabbed everything from Trader Joe’s, including their vegan cashew and basil pesto (sneaky veggie win for my toddler and me!). But any pesto works—just adjust based on richness and saltiness.
For my paid Substack members, you’ll find the printable recipe PDF, grocery list, and meal prep guides below. And if you haven’t joined my monthly menu club yet, now’s the time! I’d love to have you in the kitchen with me.
Sheet Pan Pesto Shrimp and Gnocchi with Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes and Burrata
Ingredients
For the sheet pans:
- 1 lb potato gnocchi shelf-stable or fresh, I used the gnocchi from Trader Joe’s
- 1 lb shrimp peeled & deveined
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed & cut into 2-inch pieces (I prefer thinner asparagus for this recipe because it roasts more quickly)
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Kosher salt for seasoning
- Black pepper to taste
- ½ cup pesto store-bought or homemade
For serving:
- 4 to 6 oz arugula about 4 cups
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 8 oz burrata torn into pieces
- Fresh basil thinly sliced (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of pesto, a generous portion of olive oil (1-2 tbsp,) the grated garlic, and a generous pinch of salt. Toss together. Let it marinate while preparing the vegetables. Use this marinating time to wash and prep the asparagus.
- On a sheet pan, toss the gnocchi, whole cherry tomatoes, and asparagus with a generous amount of olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Spread into an even layer on the sheet pan.
- On another sheet pan, scatter the marinated shrimp in an even layer. Cook time depends on the size of the shrimp.
- Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. At 7/8 minutes, check on the shrimp to see how they are doing. If they’re bright pink and opaque, they’re probably done! You can remove them from the oven and let the other tray continue roasting until the gnocchi is slightly crisp and tender.
- Remove the shrimp, gnocchi and veggies from sheet pans and add everything to a large bowl. Toss together with pesto. Adjust to taste.
- In a salad bowl, toss the arugula with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- To serve, plate about 1 cup of salad per person. Add the gnocchi/shrimp/veggie mixture to the bowl. Top with torn burrata and a generous drizzle of balsamic. Finish with a pinch of salt and crack of black pepper and enjoy. If using fresh basil, garnish with fresh basil.
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