Vegan Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
Few dishes hit the comfort-food sweet spot quite like a bubbling, saucy baked gnocchi — and this plant-based take on the Sorrentina classic delivers every bit of that cozy, crowd-pleasing energy. The sauce starts with thinly sliced garlic and red pepper flakes bloomed in olive oil, then gets built up with crushed San Marzano tomatoes, a pinch of sugar, and handfuls of fresh basil for a depth of flavor that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. Pillowy potato gnocchi get tossed right into that sauce before everything goes into the oven, so each piece soaks up the tomato goodness from the inside out. The topping is where the magic really happens — torn vegan mozzarella melts and browns in spots while nutritional yeast adds a savory, cheesy finish that makes the whole dish feel genuinely indulgent. It's the kind of recipe that proves you don't need dairy to nail that stretchy, golden, bubbling-baked-pasta moment. Serves four, and it's the sort of thing people will ask you to make again before they've even finished their first bowl.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the dish
- 2 lb potato gnocchi (dry or shelf-stable)
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn, divided
For the topping
- 6 oz vegan mozzarella, torn or sliced
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
- 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 2 minutes — watch closely so it doesn't burn.
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