Name: Pesto Gnocchi Skillet
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 16 oz gnocchi; 1 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp pesto; 1/2 cup half and half ((or heavy cream)); 1/2 cup white onion ((diced)); 3/4 cup fresh spinach; 3/4 cup sliced cherry tomatoes; 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese ((or mozzarella)); salt and pepper to taste

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This is a super easy recipe with loads of flavor! Our Pesto Gnocchi Skillet takes only about 15 minutes to prepare and happily feeds the whole family. The pesto cream sauce comes together quickly, even the most novice of home chefs can master this meal!

All About Gnocchi

This recipe is super simple. We purchase shelf stable gnocchi, which can be found in most grocery stores near the pasta aisle. The brand we use is Delallo. You could also make your own gnocchi if you felt like it! This recipe from Jo Cooks is pretty easy and she does a great job at explaining all the steps. Boil the gnocchi for about 3-4 minutes, and place in a strainer, then we’ll work on the sauce.

All About Pesto

Pesto is a classic Italian spread made with basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It’s a great way to use up all that end of the year garden basil! It does take a fair amount of basil to yield a good amount of pesto, so we usually buy ours store-bought. The best store bought pesto we have found is at Costco! Kirkland Brand Pesto is great. If you’re at a smaller grocery store, we like Delallo brand pesto. If you do choose to make your own pesto, this is a great recipe.

How to Make Gnocchi in Pesto Sauce

Start off by sautéing onions in olive oil until they develop a golden hue (but are not caramelized). Then, add 3 tablespoons of pesto, followed by a hearty drizzle of half and half. Add a dash of salt and pepper to your liking. Give it a good whisk, and remove from heat. Whisk together the half/half and the pesto until fully combined. I highly recommend taste testing at this point! Add more pesto or more cream to your liking. Need more salt? Pepper? Pesto? Allow the pesto cream sauce to come to a light simmer and reduce heat to low.

Add the cooked gnocchi to the pesto cream sauce/onion skillet and gently fold to mix it all together. After that, fold in spinach. At this point, turn the heat off and fold the spinach until it is soft and tender.

After adding the spinach, add in sliced cherry tomatoes. I like to add these at the last minute, the fresh juicy tomatoes pair so well with the rich, tender gnocchi! You can add the tomatoes earlier if you prefer.

I top mine with some parmesan cheese and serve in a bowl! This dish has all the elements- pasta, vegetables, and cheese.

If you like this easy gnocchi in pesto sauce recipe, we have a few more we think you’ll love:

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Cheers to good meals! – Kathi and Rachel