Easy Pesto Gnocchi (in 10 Minutes)!

Why you’ll love this recipe

This pesto gnocchi recipe is everything you need in a delicious week-night dinner. It takes less than 10 minutes to make, it has so much flavour and requires minimal effort. 

The  gnocchi pesto can be made for meal prep as it reheats really well, or it can be served immediately to family/friends (this could be a dinner party show-off dish)!

There’s a slight twist with this pesto recipe as I use rocket/arugula, which creates a delicious peppery contrast that takes this recipe to the next level. 

Other gnocchi recipes you should try out after this one:

Homemade Pan-Fried Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Cheesy Tomato Gnocchi Bake with Hidden Veg

Ingredients

Basil 

The foundation of any pesto gnocchi is basil. Don’t skip out on using fresh basil here, as dried basil wouldn’t be the same! 

Cashews 

Pine nuts are super expensive, so I’ve opted for cashews. They provide the same nutty richness for half the price. 

Garlic 

Adjust the garlic level to your preference. Be wary that we aren’t really cooking the garlic though so it’s stronger than cooked garlic. 

Rocket 

The star of the show – it’s peppery, vibrantly green & adds a great volume to the pesto. My favourite pesto everrrrr. 

Extra virgin olive oil 

If you can, use extra virgin olive oil instead of standard olive oil for flavour. 

Parmesan 

Gnocchi with pesto needs to have parmesan within the sauce and also to top. Don’t skip out on this ingredient!

Lemon 

For freshness, to cut through all the rich flavours 

Veg of choice: courgette

You can serve with any veg that you love – I went for grilled courgette. 

How to make this recipe

If you have time, soak cashews in hot water an hour before making your pesto.

Add the courgette strips in batches on a lightly greased griddle pan (using the rapeseed oil) on a high heat.  Fry for approx 2 minutes on each side, until char lines appear on both sides of the courgette strips.

Using a food processor, roughly blend the basil, garlic, rocket, soaked cashews and lemon juice until coarsely blended.

Add a splash of water, some salt and then add half of the parmesan and pulse a few times. Repeat until all the parmesan is combined.Add the extra virgin olive oil into the pesto to make a paste.

Add the gnocchi to salted boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. Reserve some of the starchy water before draining.

Combine the gnocchi and pesto in a saucepan with a big splash of starchy water. Add half of the charred courgette and stir until everything is incorporated and saucy. Finish with an optional extra sprinkle of parmesan, black pepper and the remaining charred courgettes to garnish.

Other pesto recipe ideas…

Easy Red Pesto Pasta

Broccoli Pesto Orzo

Spinach Pesto Gnocchi with Rocket

If you’re looking for a tomato based gnocchi dish, try out my Gnocchi alla Sorrentina 

Top Tips

• To get the best pesto gnocchi, add the parmesan into the food processor after blending all of the other pesto ingredients together. This stops the parmesan from clumping together.
• Freshly grate the parmesan rather than buying pre grated.
• Use a food processor rather than a blender if you can. This gives us the right chunky texture in our pesto & requires less liquid to blend. If you only have a nutri-bullet style blender, you might have to add a couple of tbsp of water to blend. 

Storage/ meal prep 

Can I reheat this recipe?

Absolutely! This pesto gnocchi recipe is great for meal prep as it reheats really well. Just pop in the microwave with a tbsp of water & reheat for 2 minutes on high. Stir & serve with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Can I freeze this recipe?

Yes! I’d freeze into individual gnocchi meals, so that you can grab one portion at a time. To defrost, leave in the fridge overnight to thaw and follow the instructions above.