One Pan Cheesy Gnocchi , Lentil and Tomato Bake with Pesto (Vegan)

This cozy and quick to make Cheesy Gnocchi Lentil and Tomato Bake is the perfect easy dinner for when you want something comforting yet healthy. Packed with protein from the tofu 'cheese' sauce and fibre from the lentils it tastes so comforting yet is deliciously good-for-you! You can choose to top with a homemade Vegan Basil Pesto or your favourite store bought pesto.

this recipe

🍅Key Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this cheesy vegan gnocchi bake. Head to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and quantities to use.

1. Gnocchi: Choose the fresh gnocchi you find in the fridge section of the supermarket. If you can only find the gnocchi in the sealed plastic packages in the pasta aisle, you will need to quickly immerse them in boiling water for 1 minute or they will stay tough and floury.
2. Cherry Tomatoes: I used a crazy bunch I picked from my garden, just make sure they're not too large and you remove the little stalks.
3. Lentils: Pre-cooked puy or brown lentils work best. You can use drained canned lentils, the kind you get in a pouch ready to eat, or cook your own (I like to cook up a batch and make this Spiced Roasted Carrot and Lentil Salad at the same time)
4. Fresh Basil Pesto: Choose whichever pesto you like best from the supermarket, or make your own. I also like this with my Vegan Parsley Pistachio Pesto, which is handy to make if you have a lot of parsley left over!

For the cheesy sauce

1. Silken Tofu: This forms the base of the cheesy sauce. It's high in protein and makes a silky and quick bechamel style sauce. Make sure to get silken tofu - I like to get the ones that come in a tetra pack you can keep in the cupboard for quick sauces or to make Vegan Silken Tofu Scramble Eggs
2. Nutritional Yeast: this is the cheesy element to the cheese sauce. Nutritional yeast is high in protein and often has added vitamin B12.
3. White Miso Paste: I like to add a good teaspoon or two of white miso for a savoury umami flavor that helps with the overall 'cheesy' flavor.
4. Dijon Mustard: A good tablespoon of dijon mustard in combination with the other ingredients helps give tangyness to the cheese sauce, just like you would get with a sharp cheddar cheese.

🌶️Substitutions & Variations

Here are some yummy ways you can switch up this recipe:

• Other Veggies:- add in chopped up red peppers, carrots or green beans, zucchini or a few handfuls spinach.
• Gluten Free - choose a gluten-free gnocchi. Most gnocchi is made with wheat flour and potatoes, however I have found a good gluten-free gnocchi available in the 'free from' aisle in my supermarket. Test to see if it needs blanching in hot water to ensure the gnocchi cooks through.
• Extra Hot - add a good amount of chili flakes or red pepper flakes.
• Garlicky- roast some whole cloves garlic in with the tomatoes and gnocchi, then squeeze out and mix in before adding the tofu cheese sauce.
• Other Herbs and Spices: add fresh or dried oregano, thyme or basil to enhance the flavor of the tomatoes. Some smoked paprika or a hint of balsamic vinegar might be nice too.

👩‍🍳Instructions for making Baked Gnocchi

You'll need a shallow casserole dish or baking tin: approx 40cm x 20cm to heat and serve this dish.

1. Step 1: In a large casserole dish or baking pan, add the gnocchi and tomatoes. Drizzle over a little olive oil and sprinkle over some flaky sea salt. Add red chilli flakes, oregano or thyme here to taste. Bake at 180C/360 for 15 mins.

2. Step 2: While the gnocchi and tomatoes are roasting, make the cheese sauce by combining the tofu, nutritional yeast, miso and dijon mustard.

3. Step 3: Whizz the tofu cheese up in your blender until very creamy. You want a thick but pourable cream texture. Add more salt as needed.

4. Step 4: Remove the gnocchi and tomatoes from the oven. Lightly press on the tomatoes so some release their juices a bit. Spread over the cooked lentils.

5. Step 5: Pour the tofu cheesy sauce over the gnocchi pan.

6. Step 6: Dab spoonfuls of pesto over the cheesy sauce. Return the baking tin/ casserole dish to the oven for 10 mins or until all cooked through. Don't over cook , you want it warmed through and bubbly not starting to solidify.

Hint: Serve warm from the oven. I like to dot extra fresh pesto over the top and maybe add some vegan parmesan cheese or fresh basil leaves to serve.

What to serve with Vegan Gnocchi Bake

This yummy vegan casserole is quite hearty and rich, so I suggest making a zippy salad to serve with it. One of my favourite sides is this Grated French Raw Carrot Salad as it's good to make a batch of for the week. Or why not make this Charred Garlicky Broccoli for a quick delicous side to add some extra greens to the table.

❓Gnocchi Casserole with Lentils FAQ

📖 Recipe

Cheesy Gnocchi Lentil Tomato Pasta Bake with Pesto

Louise-Claire Cayzer

Great mid week dinner idea, pillowy gnocchi with lentils, fresh cherry tomatoes and a cheesy high protein sauce.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 429 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Blender
• 1 Flame proof casserole dish (or large pot) roughly 40cm x 20 cm

Ingredients Note:

For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.

(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)

Ingredients

• ▢ 500 g (17 ⅔ oz) gnocchi (1 packet fresh gnocchi)
• ▢ 500 g (4 ¼ cups) Cherry Tomatoes
• ▢ 250 g cooked Brown lentils (or puy lentils)
• ▢ 300 g (1 ⅗ cups) silken (the kind that comes in long life tetra packs and you can keep in the cupboard)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon miso paste
• ▢ 1 tbps dijon mustard
• ▢ 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• ▢ 2 teaspoon garlic granules
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ Salt and Pepper to taste
• ▢ 3 tablespoon basil pesto (vegan or homemade)

Instructions

• Add the gnocchi to the casserole dish along with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle over a little olive oil, salt to taste, and optionally sprinkle over garlic granules and chili flakes.
  500 g gnocchi, 500 g Cherry Tomatoes, 1 tsp chili flakes, 1 tsp olive oil, Salt and Pepper to taste, 2 tsp garlic granules
• Put in the oven at 180℃/356℉ for 15 while you get on with making the cheese sauce.
• Make the cheese sauce by adding the tofu, nutritional yeast, miso and dijon mustard to a blender and blending well.
  300 g silken, 1 tbsp miso paste, 1 tbps dijon mustard, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
Make sure to use silken tofu to make the sauce.
• Remove the gnocchi and tomatoes from the oven. Squish the now slightly roasted tomatoes a litte bit to release their juices.
• Distribute the cooked lentils over the top of the gnocchi and tomatoes.
  250 g cooked Brown lentils
• Pour all the tofu cheesy sauce over the top of the lentils and gnocchi.
• Dot the pesto over the top.
  3 tbsp basil pesto
• Bake for 10 minutes. Check the gnocchi is cooked through.
• Serve immediately with extra pesto on top should you want more of it!

Notes

• • Other Veggies -Choose any other root vegetable, or try broccoli or cauliflower.

• • No Gnocchi- swap the gnocchi for white beans , or add them to the gnocchi to extend the recipe!

• • Spicy- mix a generous amount of gochujang sauce in with the cheese sauce, or just add an extra sprinkle of chili flakes.

• • Gluten Free- Choose gluten-free gnocchi (or make your own) in place of regular gnocchi which although made with potatoes, often contains wheat flour. 

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 20gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 756mgPotassium: 793mgFiber: 11gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 998IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 9mg

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