A pan of roasted tomatoes with creamy mascarpone make the perfect sauce for gnocchi. Feels like a treat while using inexpensive ingredients, and low effort enough for a weekday dinner.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Add the cherry tomatoes and Italian seasoning, then mix to get them all coated in the glaze.
Pour into a casserole dish (something large enough that they don't overlap too much, but small enough so they aren't too far apart because we don't want them to dry out, we want the juices to come together and form a sauce). Place in the oven on the top shelf for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the gnocchi. Scatter on an oiled baking tray and drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat the gnocchi.
1 package dried gnocchi
Once the tomatoes have been in the oven for 20 minutes, move them to the lower shelf of the oven and place the gnocchi on the top shelf. Bake for a further 20 minutes until the gnocchi is lightly browned and crispy and the tomatoes are well roasted (most of the liquid in the pan should have evaporated leaving them sticky and jammy). All ovens are different, so do keep an eye on things. If your tomatoes seem ready early, just take them out and let them sit while you wait for the gnocchi to be done.
When the tomatoes are ready, add the mascarpone and grated cheese right into the pan and stir through to form a sauce.
1/2 cup mascarpone, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Add the gnocchi and basil to the pan and mix to combine.