Pesto Gnocchi - Healthy Hearty Recipes (2024)

This pesto gnocchi recipe is everything you want in an easy dinner meal. It’s only 6 ingredients, cooks in one pot, and the gnocchi is perfectly creamy, cheesy and pillowy! It’s a great meatless dinner that takes under 15 minutes and requires no prep time. It can also be easily made gluten free and dairy free!

Why This Recipe Works

• Pesto gnocchi is so easy! There are only 6 ingredients needed to make it, and it all cooks in just 10 to 15 minutes in one pan!
• This gnocchi with pesto recipe is vegetarian, and a really great meatless recipe to have for dinner or serve as a pasta side with a meal. It can also be made gluten free and dairy free.
• There are many ways to customize creamy pesto gnocchi, including options like adding diced chicken, chopped bacon or using different kinds of pesto such as kale pesto or sun dried tomato pesto.
• Looking for more easy gnocchi recipes? Check out Garlic Chicken Gnocchi Skillet, Cheesy Broccoli Gnocchi Skillet and Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients in Pesto Gnocchi

The ingredient list for making creamy pesto gnocchi couldn’t be easier. The recipe is made up of very common, standard kitchen ingredients that are both affordable and easy to source. You will need 1 pound of gnocchi, 1/3 cup of pesto, heavy cream or half and half, chicken or vegetable broth, minced garlic and parmesan cheese.

Salt and pepper is added to taste, and you can opt to add more cheese and fresh basil to garnish, but those are completely optional. You can also add meat such as diced chicken, ground sausage or chopped bacon if you want to add a more substantial protein.

Gluten Free Gnocchi

Pesto gnocchi can be easily made gluten free by picking up a gnocchi that is gluten free! Not all potato gnocchi options are being it’s typically made with eggs, flour and potatoes. When you’re shopping for your gnocchi, simply make sure to go for a brand or selection that is. You can find them at many major grocery stores or online.

There are three gluten free potato gnocchi options I recommend: Sanniti Italian Gnocchi, DeLallo, and Le Veneziane. The other option for gluten free gnocchi is to use a vegetable substitution such as cauliflower gnocchi.

Best Jarred Pesto

There are so many different types of jarred pesto that can be picked up at your local grocery store. Some are better than others, and being pesto is the star of this dish, the quality does matter. Our favorites are jarred pesto from DeLallo, Filippo Berio, Cucina & Amore, and ROI Pesto for a dairy free option.

You can also use a different type of pesto to change up this gnocchi recipe. They make so many different types of pesto sauces now, so you can use one that sounds great to you! Ones I recommend include Tomato and Ricotta Pesto, Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, or Creamy Kale Pesto.

Homemade Pesto Sauce

If you find yourself with an abundance of basil that you need to use up, or just feel like making your own pesto sauce instead of purchasing it, you’re in luck because blending up a pesto sauce is quick and easy to do!

You simply need to add 2 cups of basil leaves, 2 heaping tablespoons of pine nuts and 2 cloves of garlic to a food processor and blend until everything is finely minced. Then, slowly pour in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil while the food processor is running and blend until smooth. Lastly, stir in 1/2 cup of grated parmesan. Just like that you have your own basil pesto sauce to add to your gnocchi!

How to Make Pesto Gnocchi

There are only 4 simple steps to follow to make your creamy pesto gnocchi. The entire meal comes together in about 10 minutes, with no real prep time being there’s nothing to chop or prepare, and cooks all in one skillet for easy clean up!

Step 1

The first step to making creamy pesto gnocchi is to add your pesto and minced garlic into a skillet over medium high heat. Make sure to use a large enough skillet that will hold the liquid from the cream and broth. You’ll saute the pesto with the minced garlic for about a minute until the garlic is fragrant, and then pour in the broth and cream.

Step 2

Mix the broth and cream together with the pesto and bring it to a light simmer. Once it’s gently bubbling, reduce the heat down to medium. Carefully add in the gnocchi and stir to mix it into the sauce.

Step 3

Cover the skillet with a lid and let the gnocchi cook for about 5 minutes. After those 5 minutes, remove the lid and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. The creamy pesto sauce will reduce and thicken as the gnocchi finishes cooking.

Step 4

Once your creamy pesto sauce has reduced down and the gnocchi is cooked though, add in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Stir to melt the cheese into the sauce and if the sauce becomes too thick, you can thin it out a bit by adding about 1/4 cup of cream or broth. Remove it from the heat and add any optional garnishes you’d like!

Serving Instructions

Pesto gnocchi can be served as a side dish or on it’s own as a meal. If you’re serving as a side, gnocchi is a great compliment to roasted, smoked or braised chicken, pork chops or beef roasts. When served as a side, it can easily feed 4 people, and when served as a main meal, it will feed 2 for an 8 ounce serving of pasta.

How to Store Pesto Gnocchi

If you have leftover pesto gnocchi to save, or are using it as a part of meal prep, the first step in storing it is to let it cool completely after cooking. Once it’s cooled, add the gnocchi into air tight containers with the sauce and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this gnocchi recipe because while gnocchi can be frozen, the dairy in this recipe can separate upon thawing.

FAQ:

Other Pasta Recipes You’ll Love:

• Cajun Salmon Pasta
• Meatless Baked Ziti
• One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Shrimp Rasta Pasta
• Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta

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