Prepared in 20 minutes, this pesto gnocchi recipe is an ideal dinner for summer season weeknights! With a vibrant pesto sauce, it is recent and scrumptious.
This pesto gnocchi recipe is strictly the sort of straightforward dinner I’m craving proper now. It’s recent and summery, that includes bursty cherry tomatoes and loads of basil pesto. However on the identical time, it’s tremendous easy. Made with store-bought gnocchi, it comes collectively in 20 minutes or much less. File it beneath “summer season weeknight dinners to make on repeat!”
This recipe is my extra-veggie spin on the Italian dish gnocchi al pesto. Hailing from Liguria, pesto’s dwelling area, it historically consists of gnocchi tossed in a vibrant basil pesto sauce—that’s it. No different add-ins or garnishes, apart from perhaps a bit cheese on prime. Within the spirit of summer season, I couldn’t resist including recent tomatoes to this twist. They provide the sauce a tangy sweetness that I completely love. I believe you’ll too!
Pesto Gnocchi Elements
This recipe may be as easy or as concerned as you’d prefer it to be.
- For the only model, use store-bought gnocchi and store-bought pesto.
- Should you’re up for extra of a mission, make do-it-yourself potato gnocchi and do-it-yourself basil pesto. (The fragile, pillowy do-it-yourself gnocchi aren’t fast to make, however they’re SO scrumptious on this recipe!)
On weeknights, I often compromise and use store-bought gnocchi and do-it-yourself pesto. Should you’re utilizing do-it-yourself pesto, make this pesto recipe utilizing 1/3 cup olive oil. Measure 1/2 cup of the pesto to make use of on this dish, and freeze the remainder for an additional use!
Right here’s what else you’ll have to make this recipe:
- Cherry tomatoes – You’ll burst them in a scorching skillet earlier than tossing them with the gnocchi. I like how their juicy texture performs off the chewy gnocchi.
- Additional-virgin olive oil – For sautéing the tomatoes.
- Pine nuts – For crunch! You’ll calmly toast them and sprinkle them over the gnocchi earlier than serving.
- Contemporary basil – I all the time bathe this dish with recent basil leaves earlier than serving. They carry out the pesto’s wealthy basil taste.
- Parmesan cheese – For salty, nutty taste.
- And salt and pepper – To make all of the flavors pop!
Discover the whole recipe with measurements beneath.
Easy methods to Make Pesto Gnocchi
This recipe has three fundamental steps:
- Boil the gnocchi.
- Sauté the cherry tomatoes.
- Mix the 2 and blend with pesto.
Listed below are just a few suggestions for optimum pesto gnocchi success:
- The tomatoes ought to nonetheless maintain their form. The enjoyable factor about combining cherry tomatoes and gnocchi is that the 2 have comparable sizes and shapes. Cook dinner the tomatoes till they begin to burst, however cease earlier than they completely collapse, so as to benefit from the gnocchi and tomatoes facet by facet on this dish.
- Reserve the gnocchi cooking water. As a substitute of draining the gnocchi, use a spider or slotted spoon to scoop it out of the boiling water and straight into the pan with the tomatoes. That means, you should utilize among the reserved gnocchi cooking water to loosen the pesto and assist it calmly coat the gnocchi. Variation: To make creamy pesto gnocchi, skinny the pesto with a splash of heavy cream as a substitute.
- Stir gently. Gnocchi (particularly do-it-yourself gnocchi) and bursty cherry tomatoes are delicate! If you combine them with the pesto, stir gently to keep away from mushing them. If the pesto feels too thick to simply combine in, add a bit gnocchi cooking water to loosen it.
Discover the whole recipe with measurements beneath.
What to Serve with Pesto Gnocchi
This pesto gnocchi is a scrumptious dinner by itself! For a bigger meal, pair it with any of those appetizers or sides:
Storage Ideas
This recipe is finest freshly made, however when you have leftovers, you’ll be able to retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 2 days. Reheat within the microwave or over low warmth on the stovetop.
Extra Pesto Recipes to Attempt
Can’t get sufficient pesto? Make one in every of these straightforward pesto recipes subsequent:
Pesto Gnocchi
Serves 2 to three
Prepared in 20 minutes, this pesto gnocchi recipe is an ideal straightforward dinner for summer season weeknights! It is recent and flavorful, made with bursty cherry tomatoes and a vibrant pesto sauce.
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Deliver a big pot of salted water to a boil.
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In the meantime, warmth the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low warmth. Add the cherry tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and a number of other grinds of pepper and cook dinner, stirring sometimes, for six minutes, or till the tomatoes burst, soften barely, and start to launch their flavorful juices. Take away from the warmth.
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Cook dinner the gnocchi within the boiling water for two to three minutes, or till they float. Use a slotted spoon or spider to switch the gnocchi straight from the boiling water to the skillet with the tomatoes. Reserve the gnocchi cooking water.
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Gently stir to mix the gnocchi with the tomatoes, then add the pesto and gently stir till the gnocchi and tomatoes are nicely coated. If the pesto is simply too thick, add gnocchi cooking water, just a few tablespoons at a time, to loosen it till it calmly coats the gnocchi.
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Season to style and divide into bowls. High with the pine nuts and recent basil and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
