Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce

I'm always looking for a fast but delicious side dish to go with dinner. I slow braised a brisket today, cooked up a mess of green beans, but I still needed a side dish to round the meal out. This dish cooks up in about 30 minutes and is always appreciated by the fam, and tastes downright delicious. I use the vacuum-packed gnocchi from Trader Joe's for this recipe. It's par-cooked and heats up very quickly.

Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. vacuum-packed gnocchi
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped basil

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Heat 2 tbs. oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add gnocchi and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to a plate.

2. Add remaining 2 tbs. oil and and onion to skillet and cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper; cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add cream and browned gnocchi to pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally until gnocchi are tender, 5-7 minutes; transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until cheese is well browned, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.