Creamy Gnocchi Pesto

This Creamy Gnocchi Pesto recipe is a healthy vegetarian meal or side dish that is made with just 4 ingredients in just 10 minutes.  The pillowy gnocchi is topped with pesto and turned creamy with a few tablespoons of greek yogurt, not heavy cream. This is an easy family dinner everyone will love!

Use store-bought pesto or make it with my Basil Almond Pesto, Walnut Pesto, or Sun Dried Tomato Pesto.

Gnocchi Pesto recipe

This Creamy Gnocchi Pesto recipe is such a treat! This super easy, 3 ingredient recipe is whipped up in literally 10 minutes with just 4 simple ingredients.  Plus it's made in just one pan.  The result is a super flavorful dinner that everyone will love.  My entire family, including my toddler twins, love this recipe!

This Pesto Gnocchi recipe starts with gnocchi.  The delightful little dumplings cook quickly fast in a pan (yes, no need to boil them!) and turn out tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.  The simple dumplings are then elevated with a toss in your favorite pesto (store-bought or homemade) and then the entire dish gets a healthy but creamy touch with some greek yogurt and parmesan cheese.

You seriously can't beat the rich flavor in this cozy comfort dish.  If you are looking for good gnocchi recipes, this is it.  And no joke, it will be on your table in 10 minutes.

What is gnocchi?

If you aren't familiar with gnocchi, it's actually an Italian word that means "lump" or "knot."  There are many different types of gnocchi, but the most common and the kind you'd find prepared in the grocery store are made with cooked potatoes, flour, and egg.  The dumplings are often pressed with a fork to get a unique shape.

This recipe uses store-bought potato gnocchi that's found in the grocery store with the pasta.  You can use the shelf-stable or refrigerated type.

What is pesto gnocchi made of?

Pesto Gnocchi or Gnocchi al Pesto is one-way gnocchi that is served in Italy.  They simply cooked gnocchi are tossed in pesto.  My healthy twist for this classic dish uses greek yogurt instead of heavy cream.

Why You'll Love this Creamy Gnocchi Pesto recipe...

• This recipe uses just 4 ingredients and takes just 10 minutes to make.
• This is the ultimate easy dinner made in just one pan.
• It's so good!  The flavors and textures are perfect.
• It's the kind of easy vegetarian dinner where you don't really miss the meat.
• This is a basic recipe, but you can tweak it to add your favorite vegetables or proteins.  See below for some tasty variations.
• It's a well-loved recipe for kids and adults.
• You can serve it as a main dish or a side dish.

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Gnocchi Pesto recipe, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

• Gnocchi: Use your favorite store-bought gnocchi for this recipe.  You can buy either the shelf-stable or refrigerated types.  I like to keep some shelf-stable gnocchi in my pantry with my pasta for easy dinners like this one.  They also make some that are sold in the frozen section, you'll just need to make sure those are thawed before using them.
• Olive Oil: Instead of boiling the gnocchi, I keep this recipe super simple and cook them in a bit of oil in a pan before adding the pesto.  This gives the gnocchi a fabulous tender center and a slightly crispy outside. Because of that, you do need a touch of oil or butter to saute the gnocchi in.
• Pesto: You can use your favorite prepared pesto or make your homemade ones like my Basil Almond Pesto, Walnut Pesto, or even a fun twist on this recipe would be to use Sun Dried Tomato Pesto.  Pesto is made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, nuts like pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, or almonds, and parmesan cheese.
• Parmesan Cheese: Rich parmesan cheese brings a delightfully salty flavor and texture.  You can use whatever type you have, but the best flavor comes from the real cheese in the refrigerated section of the store.  If you are feeling extra fancy, use fresh grated parmesan cheese.
• Plain Greek Yogurt: Instead of mixing in some heavy cream, I use a few tablespoons of creamy plain greek yogurt which gives the dinner some richness without the calories and fat.  You can use low-fat or full-fat depending on your dietary preferences.
• Garnish: fresh basil and parmesan cheese
• Salt & Pepper: You can salt and pepper this dish to taste, but you probably will not need much if any salt at all because prepared pesto and parmesan are pretty salty already.

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions to make this Gnocchi Pesto recipe, but the full detailed printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

1. You'll just need one large non-stick skillet to make this dish.  In the skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil (or butter) and gnocchi to the pan. Saute them for 5 minutes until tender inside and slightly crispy on the outside. For the best even texture, stir them every minute.
2. Add the pesto to the hot pan and stir until well combined.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the greek yogurt. 
4. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
5. Serve with basil and more parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Variations

I love this Gnocchi Pesto recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.

• Add a Protein: This dish is vegetarian as written, but you can make it a meal with protein by adding grilled chicken, steak, fish, shrimp, or even tofu.
• Add Vegetables:  I kept this basic, but you could add so many different delicious veggies to the dish.  Great options are tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, broccoli, or bell peppers.
• Add Something Fun: Want to elevate the dish? Add something fun like olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or capers.
• Add A Nut: Give the dish some texture by adding a nut like pine nuts or toasted slivered almonds.
• Mix up the Cheese: Add a different cheese like goat cheese, feta cheese, or asiago cheese.
• Mix up the Gnocchi: You could easily make this with the popular sweet potato gnocchi or cauliflower gnocchi.
• Add Lemon: You can brighten up the dish by adding some fresh lemon juice to the pesto.  This is a great trick, especially if you are using packaged pesto and not homemade.  It gives some freshness to the packaged pesto.
• Make it Vegan:  Make this into a Vegan Pesto Gnocchi by substituting nutritional yeast for parmesan.
• Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute this gluten-free gnocchi for regular gnocchi.

FAQ

Storage and Leftovers

Store any leftovers of the Gnocchi Pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.  It does keep well for meal prep.

I would not recommend freezing this recipe.

Is gnocchi a type of pasta?

Although gnocchi is sold with pasta and cooked and served in similar ways, it's not a type of pasta.  It's just delicious, pillowy, carb-y, well-loved gnocchi!

What can I add to gnocchi for protein?

This is a basic recipe without a protein but you can add your favorite protein like chicken, fish, shrimp, or even steak.

This Gnocchi Pesto recipe is the Perfect Easy Dinner!

Gnocchi Pesto is truly the perfect easy dinner.  There are lots of dinner recipes that claim to be easy or simple, but this one truly is! It's one that literally comes together in 10 minutes with minimal cleanup.  This tasty dinner idea is on regular rotation at our busy house.

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe as is, or tweak it and make it your own!  Don't forget to try it sometime with my homemade pestos including mine Either way, I know you will love it.

Homemade Pesto Recipes:

• Basil Almond Pesto
• Walnut Pesto
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

This makes a great meal on its own as a main course, or serve it as a side dish with some of these recipes.

Serve it With:

• Pesto Salmon
• Blackened Mahi Mahi
• Grilled Lemon Shrimp
• Blackened Swordfish
• Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
• Portobello Mushroom Steak
• Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Mushroom Caps
• Italian Chopped Salad
• Parmesan Panko Halibut

More Recipes Using Pesto to Try:

• Pesto Gnocchi
• Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
• 4 Ingredient Caprese Pasta Salad
• Pesto Tortellini Salad with Asparagus
• Healthy Creamy Pesto Pasta
• Pesto Zoodles (zucchini noodles)
• Pesto Quinoa with Shrimp

If you make this Gnocchi Pesto recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Pesto Gnocchi - Healthy & Creamy

Julie Wunder

This Creamy Gnocchi Pesto recipe is a healthy vegetarian meal or side dish that is made with just 4 ingredients in just 10 minutes.  The pillowy gnocchi is topped with pesto and turned creamy with a few tablespoons of greek yogurt, not heavy cream. This is an easy family dinner everyone will love!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2

Calories 603 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 packaged gnocchi, 16 ounces
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ⅓ cup pesto
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons greek yogurt
• garnish: basil and parmesan cheese

Instructions

 

• In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and gnocchi to the pan. Saute them for 5 minutes until tender inside and slightly crispy on the outside. For the best even texture, stir them every minute.
  
• Add the pesto to the hot pan and stir until well combined.
  
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the greek yogurt.
• Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.
• Serve with basil and more parmesan cheese.

Notes

Storage and Leftovers

Store any leftovers of the Gnocchi Pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.  Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.  It does keep well for meal prep.

I would not recommend freezing this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 603kcalCarbohydrates: 85gProtein: 17gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 1361mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 932IUCalcium: 277mgIron: 9mg

Keyword Pesto Gnocchi

Tried this recipe?Mention @Julie_Wunder or tag #RunninginaSkirt!

Pin for later: