This pesto gnocchi is a comforting and delicious vegetarian dinner that's ready in just 15 minutes! Homemade pesto is surprisingly easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought, making for a simple yet indulgent dinner that you’ll want to keep making over and over again. Add it to your menu this week!
This post was originally uploaded on March 10, 2022. It was updated on April 8, 2024
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Gnocchi al pesto is an elevated comfort food that’s an instant hit with almost any audience. The way the rich sauce perfectly coats the pillowy pasta will have your dinner guests thinking you spent all day in the kitchen, but the secret is safe between us: it only took 3 steps and a handful of basic ingredients to whip up this stunning dish.
For how indulgent this creamy pesto gnocchi is, you’d never guess how quick and easy it is to make! Hungry for more easy pasta recipes? Check out my Bucatini Pomodoro, Creamy Gnocchi and Sausage, Lemon Ricotta Pasta, and Chicken Bolognese!
Why You’ll Love Pesto Gnocchi
- Savory: Parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt add notes of umami while the walnuts and olive oil add fats that make the gnocchi with pesto sauce creamy and luscious. It's a flavor combination we can't get enough of!
- Adaptable: This pesto gnocchi recipe makes a great vegetarian main dish on its own, but can also be served as a side dish to other Italian recipes or topped with grilled or roasted meats to satisfy larger appetites. It’s also easy to make vegan and gluten-free! See my notes below for substitution and serving suggestions.
- Easy: Gnocchi with pesto is a rich yet super accessible comfort food. It doesn't take an afternoon of slaving in the kitchen to get this dish on the dinner table, even though it may taste like it!
- Family-friendly: There's no need to make two different dinners when this gnocchi pesto recipe is on the menu! The cheesy and savory flavors make it palatable for kids, and parents will love it because it's more complex and indulgent than a traditional marinara.
Ingredients
- Potato gnocchi: This recipe uses pre-made, dried gnocchi that you can find in the pasta aisle of most major grocery stores. However, the homemade pesto sauce also pairs well with any shape or size of pasta you might have on hand like penne, bucatini, or linguine.
- Fresh basil: The star ingredient of pesto, giving it its classic bright and herbal flavor.
- Walnut halves: Walnut pieces will also work here, as they will be blended up either way. Traditional pesto often uses pine nuts, which are generally more expensive, but can certainly be substituted here as well if desired.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil gives this pesto the most authentic Italian flavor, but can be substituted for another mild-flavored oil like canola or avocado oil in a pinch.
- Grated parmesan cheese: Shredded parmesan cheese also works, but doesn't blend down into the sauce as easily.
- Salt: Amps up the flavors of both the pasta and pesto sauce.
- Garlic cloves: Use whole peeled cloves with the stems trimmed off. There’s no need to mince the garlic as we will be blending it up with the sauce.
How to Make Pesto Gnocchi
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Boil the gnocchi according to the package instructions in heavily salted water. Drain after cooking.
Step 2: Add the basil, walnuts, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor.
Step 3: Cover the processor and blend the pesto until it is smooth and light green.
Step 4: Return the gnocchi to the cool cooking pan and gently stir in the pesto until combined. Serve the gnocchi hot and top with additional grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Don’t refrigerate the basil. Cold temperatures will cause the delicate herb to wilt. Fresh basil can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Don’t overcook the gnocchi. Gnocchi cooks faster than most pasta, so follow the package instructions and be attentive when boiling it. You’ll know that it’s ready once the pieces have floated to the top of the water.
- Salt the pasta water. Adequately salting the pasta water makes a huge difference in the pasta’s flavor. Use 1 tablespoon of salt for every 1 - 1 ½ quarts of pasta water. This may seem like a lot of salt, but the pasta won't absorb it all -- just enough to bring out the flavors.
- Making the pesto without a food processor: If you don’t have a food processor, the sauce can also be made in a blender or immersion blender with a large and wide cup. If making in a standard blender, add the olive oil first, followed by the other ingredients.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan: This recipe can easily be made dairy-free by either omitting the parmesan cheese or substituting it for a dairy-free parmesan cheese. Traditional gnocchi sometimes contains egg yolks, so make sure you are using a vegan gnocchi as well.
- Gluten-free: While potatoes are the primary ingredient in gnocchi, it is not naturally gluten-free as wheat flour is often used as a binder. However, you can easily make this recipe by substituting the traditional gnocchi with gluten-free gnocchi!
- Mix-ins: You can make this basil pesto gnocchi a bit more filling by stirring in some roasted veggies like zucchini, peppers, or eggplant, or a protein like cubed grilled chicken or shrimp.
Serving Suggestions
This gnocchi pesto dish makes the perfect component of a hearty vegetarian meal when served with a big green Italian salad or sautéed zucchini and yellow squash. You can also add extra protein if desired. Pesto dishes pair amazingly with roasted salmon, grilled or rotisserie chicken, or grilled shrimp!
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Leftover gnocchi keeps covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, while extra pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- Reheating: Heat the pasta at medium or medium-high in the microwave at 1 - 1 ½ minute intervals or until heated through.
FAQs
You can certainly fry or sauté the gnocchi for a crunchier texture, but since this recipe uses dried gnocchi you’ll want to do it after boiling rather than before. To fry or sauté the gnocchi, heat up 3-4 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low to medium heat. Add the cooked and drained gnocchi, stirring it minimally and cooking for 2-4 minutes or until crispy.
No, you do not need to cook pesto. In fact, you don't want to heat pesto over high heat at all, as it will degrade the ingredients and negatively affect the flavor. Tossing it with the hot drained gnocchi is enough to warm up the pesto and melt the cheese.
Tools Needed to Make This Recipe
Tools Needed to Make This Recipe
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Food processor
- Silicone spatula
- Stockpot or Dutch oven
- Slotted pasta spoon
More Italian-Inspired Recipes
- Instant Pot Meatballs
- Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
- Bucatini Pomodoro
- Italian Sausage Pasta with Peppers
- Turkey Bolognese
- Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce
- Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Peas
- Chicken Bolognese
- Sausage Risotto
- Instant Pot Risotto
Pesto Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 1 lb. packages potato gnocchi
- 1 ½ cup packed basil leaves
- ⅓ cup walnut halves or pieces
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese additional cheese to garnish (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 medium garlic cloves peeled and trimmed
Instructions
- Boil the potato gnocchi according to the package instructions in heavily salted water. Drain.
- While the gnocchi cooks, add the basil, walnuts, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor. Cover the processor and blend the pesto until it is smooth and light green.
- Return the gnocchi to the cool cooking pan and gently stir in the pesto until combined. You might have additional or leftover pesto. Serve the gnocchi hot and top with additional grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Refrigeration: Leftover gnocchi keeps covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, while extra pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- Freezing: Both the pesto gnocchi and the pesto by itself can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Heat the pasta at medium or medium-high in the microwave at 1 - 1 ½ minute intervals or until heated through.
- Don’t refrigerate the basil. Cold temperatures will cause the delicate herb to wilt. Instead, fresh basil can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Don’t overcook the gnocchi. Gnocchi cooks faster than most pasta, so follow the package instructions and be attentive when boiling it. You’ll know that it’s ready once the pieces have floated to the top of the water.
- Salt the pasta water. Adequately salting the pasta water makes a huge difference in the pasta’s flavor. Use 1 tablespoon of salt for every 1 - 1 ½ quarts of pasta water. This may seem like a lot of salt, but the pasta won't absorb it all -- just enough to bring out the flavors.
- Making the pesto without a food processor: If you don’t have a food processor, the sauce can also be made in a blender or immersion blender with a large and wide cup. If making in a standard blender, add the olive oil first, followed by the other ingredients.
