This Pesto Gnocchi is a delicious and nutritious vegetarian dinner that the whole family will love! Ready in just 15 minutes, it features a fresh homemade pesto sauce that you’d never guess was so easy to make. It’s the perfect comfort food that you’ll want to keep making again and again!
¼cupgrated parmesan cheese additional cheese to garnish (optional)
½teaspoonsalt
2medium garlic clovespeeled 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
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.
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.
Recipe Pro-Tips
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.