If you’re craving a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner, this sheet pan gnocchi recipe is about to become your go-to. Crispy roasted gnocchi, tender asparagus, and juicy shrimp all come together on one pan, finished with a drizzle of herby pesto and fresh lemon juice. It’s a simple formula for a 30 minute family dinner gnocchi dish that feels both comforting and elevated.
Roasting gnocchi on a sheet pan is one of the best-kept secrets in quick cooking. Instead of boiling, the gnocchi goes straight onto the pan with olive oil. The oven transforms it into little golden pillows with crisp edges — almost like mini roast potatoes — which makes them the perfect base for pairing with shrimp and pesto. Toss in seasonal vegetables like broccolini, zucchini, or asparagus, and you’ve got a balanced, restaurant-quality meal with almost no cleanup.
Why This Is the Best Sheet Pan Gnocchi Recipe
There are a lot of gnocchi recipes out there, but what makes this one special is the combination of ease, versatility, and big flavor.
- Complete meal in one pan: You’ve got everything covered — protein from the shrimp, vegetables from the asparagus and carbs from the crispy roasted gnocchi.
- Fast cooking time: Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s ideal for weeknights or last-minute entertaining.
- Pesto shrimp pairing: Shrimp cooks in minutes and pairs beautifully with the bold, herby flavor of pesto.
- Family-friendly: Gnocchi is always a kid favorite, while the pesto keeps it interesting for adults.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The beauty of this dish is that you don’t need a long ingredient list to make it delicious. For the base, you’ll need:
- Lemon juice and fresh herbs – to brighten everything up.
- Potato gnocchi – shelf-stable or refrigerated both work.
- Shrimp – fresh or frozen, peeled and deveined.
- Vegetables – broccolini is great, but you can easily swap in asparagus, zucchini, or snap peas.
- Pesto sauce – a classic basil pesto works best, but arugula or sun-dried tomato pesto are fun twists.
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.
Variations and Substitutions
- Vegetarian option: Swap shrimp for roasted chickpeas or halloumi for a protein-packed vegetarian pesto gnocchi recipe.
- Different veggies: Try cherry tomatoes, red peppers, or zucchini for a colorful twist.
- Different protein: This recipe also works with chicken sausage, scallops, or salmon if you don’t have shrimp on hand.
Why Families Love This Recipe
When people search for 30 minute family dinner gnocchi recipes, they want something that delivers flavor without the fuss. This one checks all the boxes: Everyone loves that it’s hearty, satisfying, and nutritionally balanced with protein, veggies, and carbs. Also easy clean up is a plus!
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.
Rate & Review
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS RECIPE?
My fiancé didn’t believe that this only took me 30 minutes. Please keep posting more Trader Joe’s recipes, we love them!
Huge fan of the TJs recipes