Creamy Gnocchi with Pesto
This Creamy Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce is full of flavor and creaminess. It’s an easy to make 20 minute dish that is packed with pillowy gnocchi, cream, pesto, and crunchy pine nuts. 
I am a total sucker for gnocchi, I think it’s almost impossible to have a bad plate of pillowy gnocchi. This creamy pesto gnocchi has become a family favorite in my house, the combination of creamy pesto sauce and tender gnocchi with crunchy pine nuts is comfort food at its best. This is an easy dish that takes less than 20 minutes to make, making it perfect for a quick weeknight meal. This dish can easily be modified to be gluten free by using gluten free gnocchi.
Why You Will Love This Creamy Pesto Gnocchi
- This one-pot creamy gnocchi with pesto sauce is so quick and easy to throw together in 30 minutes on busy weeknights.
- The umami-packed pesto is the star of the show. Use store-bought or homemade pesto for delicious results.
- This vegetarian meal can have slices of chicken breasts added for a punch of protein.
- Add extra veggies like broccoli, baby spinach, or cherry tomatoes for color and extra nutrients to this simple dinner.
- This creamy gnocchi and pesto sauce is easily customizable to be gluten-free, dairy-free or Paleo
Ingredients You Need
- Potato Gnocchi: Store-bought gnocchi is fairly inexpensive and can be found in the pasta aisle of your local grocery store. You can also make homemade or gluten-free gnocchi, which is really delicious.
- Butter: You can make this dairy-free by using olive oil or plant-based butter, but the butter really makes it so rich-tasting.
- Fresh garlic: I always choose fresh garlic when I can, which doesn’t disappoint in this recipe. You can also use pre-minced garlic.
- Heavy cream: I like to use heavy cream for the creamy sauce but you could swap it for half and half or whole milk for a thinner sauce for this gnocchi pesto recipe. You can also use dairy-free milk or coconut cream if you can’t do dairy.
- Pesto: Store-bought pesto is an excellent option, but I love making homemade pesto sauce when I have lots of fresh basil. See below for more pesto recipe ideas.
- Seasoning: Salt and black pepper make a simple seasoning combination. If you want a kick to the creamy recipe, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Pine nuts: Pine nuts are the classic nuts used in fresh basil pesto, so they are perfectly paired in this recipe. You can exchange them for walnuts or cashews if you prefer.
- Fresh Parmesan: Garnishing with freshly grated parmesan is always a good idea!
Kitchen Tools You Need
- Large Skillet
- Small Bowl or Plate
- Measuring Cups
- Wooden Spoon
How To Make This Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add in the gnocchi. After a few minutes the gnocchi will rise to the top of the water, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the boiling water and set aside in a bowl.
- In a dry skillet add in the pine nuts and cook, gently stirring until they are golden in color and smell nutty. Make sure they don’t burn and then set aside in a bowl.
- Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, add in the minced garlic and stir for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer before stirring in the pesto and seasonings. Leave to thicken for 2 minutes.
- Add in the cooked gnocchi and stir to ensure that they are all well coated in the sauce. Add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick. Add half of the pine nuts and stir in with the gnocchi. Garnish with the remaining pine nuts and a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan.
You can find step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below
All Things Pesto
Making homemade basil pesto is really simple. You only need a food processor, fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, fresh garlic, olive oil, a little parmesan cheese, and a splash of lemon juice. You can have it made within minutes, and the beauty of making it yourself is that you can make it dairy-free using nutritional yeast or dairy-free Parmesan. I also highly recommend my Broccoli Pesto or Kale and Pistachio Pesto as alternatives to basil pesto.
Modifications and Dietary Customizations
- Add slices of chicken breasts or sliced chicken sausage for added protein.
- Feel free to add veggies like broccoli, fresh spinach, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Swap out the pine nuts for walnuts or almonds
- I use shelf-stable gnocchi for this, but you can definitely make your own gnocchi, which takes a bit of time but is so delicious! Alternatively feel free to use cauliflower gnocchi, just be sure to cook it according to package instructions
- Make your own fresh pesto instead of using jarred pesto, such as this spinach pesto, or these Broccoli Pesto or Kale and Pistachio Pesto recipes.
- To make this gnocchi with pesto sauce dairy free, swap out the butter for olive oil, avocado oil, or vegan butter. For the creaminess, you can either use coconut cream or almond milk.
- Leave out the garlic if you are on the FODMAP diet.
Can I Make This in Advance?
Yes, this is an easy recipe to make 2-3 days in advance on meal prep day. You’ll want to allow it to cool to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Add a little broth or milk to thin it down if necessary and warm on the stovetop over medium heat until bubbly and heated through.
What About Leftovers?
This easy dinner will typically last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge if stored properly in a sealed container. Make sure to let the gnocchi and pesto sauce cool completely before you store leftovers. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months. Just ensure they’re in a freezer-safe container to prevent freezer burn. When reheating, the texture of the gnocchi may change slightly, but it’ll still be delicious! If it seems too thick after being stored, you can add a little cream or milk while reheating to bring it back to a creamy consistency.
More Pesto Recipes You’ll Love:
- Pesto Chicken and Tortellini Soup
- Creamy Pesto Pasta With Chicken
- Pesto & Roasted Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms
- Pesto Chicken & Tomato Skewers
If you make this creamy gnocchi with pesto sauce recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Creamy Pesto Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 16 oz gnocchi (or gluten free gnocchi)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup pesto
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- In a dry skillet on medium high heat add in the pine nuts and cook, gently stirring for approximately 3-5 minutes until they are golden in color and smell nutty. Keep an eye on them to ensure that they don’t burn. Transfer the toasted pine nuts to a bowl or plate and set aside.
- Add the butter to the skillet on medium high heat, once melted add in the minced garlic and stir for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer before stirring in the pesto, salt and pepper. Stir and leave to simmer and thicken for 2 minutes.
- Add in the cooked gnocchi and stir to ensure that they are all well coated in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick add a splash of pasta water to thin it out. Add half of the pine nuts and stir so they are mixed in with the gnocchi and then using the remaining pine nuts as garnish to finish the dish along with a sprinkle of fresh grated parmesan
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