Blistered Tomato Gnocchi Skillet with Brie and Basil

Golden gnocchi, cherry tomatoes split open in their own juices, and garlic butter pooling around soft brie. This skillet dinner comes together in one pan, and the finish of fresh basil makes it taste like a restaurant plate made in a fraction of the time. It is the kind of weeknight meal that looks generous with very little effort.

This blistered tomato gnocchi skillet is built on a simple idea: sear the gnocchi until their edges turn golden, let cherry tomatoes blister in the same pan, then bring everything together with garlic butter, melting brie and grated hard cheese. The method keeps the cooking in one skillet, so the flavors build on each other rather than being spread across several pots.

Fresh basil goes in at the very end, off the heat, to stay bright and aromatic. Use a wide, heavy skillet so the gnocchi have room to brown, and serve the dish while the cheese is still soft and creamy. The whole process takes about half an hour from start to finish, with most of the time spent letting the pan do the work.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Gnocchi are a dense, starchy dough, so searing them in a hot skillet before adding anything wet is what gives them a crisp, golden surface.

That contrast between the crust and the pillowy center is the reason this dish feels more substantial than a plain pan of pasta. Working in one skillet also means the browned bits left behind by the gnocchi and tomatoes carry flavor into the butter and cheese.

Cherry tomatoes blister when they sit undisturbed over medium heat. Their skins split, their sugars concentrate, and their juices release into the pan, creating a light, savory sauce without any cream or stock. Adding the brie and grated hard cheese at the end lets them melt into that juice rather than overcook, so the sauce stays glossy and cohesive.

Notes and substitutions

Potato gnocchi from the refrigerated or shelf-stable section of the supermarket are the best choice here, since they hold their shape and brown well.

Choose cherry tomatoes that are firm and unbroken so they split neatly instead of collapsing into a sauce too early. Brie should be fully chilled before cutting so it is easy to portion; remove the rind before cooking to keep the texture smooth and creamy.

A 12-inch skillet with a lid is the ideal equipment: the width gives the gnocchi space to sear, and the lid lets you cover the pan briefly so the cheese melts. A microplane or box grater makes the hard cheese fine enough to melt quickly.

If you do not have fresh basil, add it at the end anyway in a smaller amount; dried basil does not give the same bright finish, so keep the quantity modest if you must substitute.

• Potato gnocchi: Shelf-stable vacuum-packed gnocchi work well; cook them the same way, just add a minute or two for a more even golden crust.
• Brie cheese: Fontina or fresh mozzarella melts in the same way and keeps the sauce creamy and stretchy.
• Hard cheese: Pecorino Romano works in place of Parmesan, though it adds a sharper, saltier finish.

Equipment

• 12-inch skillet with lid
• Wooden spoon
• Cutting board and knife
• Box grater or microplane
• Slotted spoon