Bored of regular pasta? Try this one pan Pesto Gnocchi with vegetables! This 15 minute weeknight dinner is guaranteed to bring anyone over to the green side. It's also a great way to use up leftover pesto!
What To Do With a Leftover Jar of Pesto?
As with lots of my recipes, the inspiration for this simple dinner came about because I was trying to think of something new and different to do with leftovers. This time a jar of store-bought pesto! On busy weeknights you need something healthy and fast which your family will actually eat. Since flavorful pesto sauce makes everything taste great, they all gobble down the broccoli, peas and basil every time I made this. Plus you can keep store bought shelf-stable gnocchi in your cupboard for those
Why You Should Try Gnocchi with Pesto and Vegetables
- This soft pillowy gnocchi meal contains just five ingredients, making it the perfect weeknight dinner.
- You don't have to use homemade pesto or homemade gnocchi. Store-bought gnocchi works just fine and can be kept in the cupboard for busy nights.
- You can cook everything in a large pot of salted water, so you’ll save on dishes too!
- Pesto is the secret weapon used by families everywhere to get those greens in! It's officially the best for healthy quick meals.
What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi is a type of Italian pasta you can find in the pasta aisle. You can get different kinds of gnocchi but they are most commonly made of cooked mashed potatoes, flour and eggs.
Some gnocchi recipes also add ricotta cheese to the dough. You can make gnocchi at home - it is a very fun project but can be time consuming. For speed and convenience I used shop bought gnocchi from my local grocery store.
Tips for Making this easy dinner
- Be sure not to overcook the gnocchi as it can go soggy if it's left too long in boiling water.
- Trader Joe gnocchi is delicious and inexpensive, if you happen to live close to a store.
- As with any pasta dish, retain half a cup of the gnocchi cooking liquid and add a splash of water if needed when mixing in the pesto.
- This also makes a wonderful side dish as part of larger meal.
The full instructions are given in the recipe card below.
Variations for this Gnocchi pesto recipe
- This flavorful meal is super flexible. You can make it with any fresh veggies you have on hand. Other alternatives which would work well are corn, edamame beans, green beans, baby spinach and asparagus.
- You can also add cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes or even tomato sauce.
- To make a creamy pesto sauce, just add a splash of heavy cream.
- Fresh basil leaves are always a great addition if you happen to have them.
- Since most petso recipes contain pine nuts and parmesan cheese you can also use these to garnish the dish for some extra flair.
How To Serve quick pesto gnocchi
This really is a one pot meal in itself and one of my family'a all time favorites. A simple green salad dressed with lemon and extra virgin olive oil always goes well with gnocchi.
Can You Reheat Gnocchi?
It is best to serve gnocchi straight away. But you can store it in an airtight container overnight.
To reheat, place in a pan and warm gently over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is hot all the way through. You can also serve this dish at room temperature.
Pin This Super Green Gnocchi with Pea, Pesto & Broccoli Recipe For Later
What Do You Think?!
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More Easy Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Pesto Gnocchi with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 16 oz Gnocchi - store bought is fine
- 1 tbsp Sea Salt
- ¼ cup Pesto - store bought or homemade
- 1 head Broccoli - chopped into florets
- ½ cup Peas
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan or Vegetarian Alternative - optional
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. Add sea salt.
- Cook the gnocchi and broccoli together in the boiling salted water on a medium heat for around 3 minutes (or as per packet directions).
- Add the peas to the same pan and continue boiling for a further minute while the gnocchi cooks. The gnocchi will float to the top and look a little fluffy when it is ready.
- Drain all the contents of the pan in a colander and return the cooked gnocchi and vegetables to the pan. The pan does not need to go back on the heat.
- Carefully stir through the pesto and the cheese if using.
- Add black pepper, if desired.
- And serve!
Ryanne says
Delicious! I can't believe how quick, easy, healthy, and tasty this dish is. My whole family loved it.