Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan) or gas mark 7. Place a large sheet pan in the oven while it heats up — this step is crucial. A hot tray gives the chicken and gnocchi a head start on browning the moment they hit the metal, creating that gorgeous golden colour you’re after.

Prepare the chicken and vegetables. Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper — damp chicken steams rather than browns. Cut each thigh into bite-sized pieces, about 3cm across. Halve the cherry tomatoes if they’re large, or leave them whole if they’re small. The tomatoes should look glossy and bright red at this stage.

Season everything in a large mixing bowl. Tumble the chicken pieces, gnocchi, and cherry tomatoes into the bowl. Drizzle over the olive oil, then add the minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to toss until every piece is evenly coated. You’ll smell the herbs and garlic coming together — that’s the sign you’ve mixed it well.

Spread the mixture onto the hot sheet pan. Carefully pull the hot tray from the oven — use oven gloves, as the metal will be scorching. Tip the seasoned mixture onto the tray and spread it into a single, even layer. Make sure the chicken pieces aren’t stacked on top of each other; they need space to brown. You should hear a satisfying sizzle as the ingredients hit the hot surface.

Roast for 20 minutes. Slide the tray into the oven and set a timer. After 20 minutes, the chicken should look opaque and lightly golden at the edges, the gnocchi will have puffed up slightly, and the tomatoes will be starting to collapse and release their juices. The kitchen will smell wonderfully aromatic at this point.

Stir and add the cheese. Remove the tray from the oven and give everything a good stir with a spatula. The tomatoes will have softened and begun to form a light sauce. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly over the top — it will melt and create little crispy patches during the final roasting stage.

Roast for a final 8-10 minutes. Return the tray to the oven and roast until the cheese is golden and bubbling, and the gnocchi have developed crisp, browned spots on their surfaces. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 74°C if you want to check with a thermometer. When you pull the tray out, the edges of the gnocchi should look caramelised and the tomatoes will be jammy and dark at the edges.

Rest and garnish. Let the tray sit for 3-4 minutes before serving — this allows the juices to settle and the gnocchi to firm up slightly. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the top just before bringing it to the table. The contrast of the bright green basil against the golden gnocchi and red tomatoes makes it look as good as it tastes.