15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)

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By: DianaPosted: 1/7/21Updated: 5/10/23

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This 4-ingredient creamy pesto gnocchi dinner is a family-friendly vegetarian meal that you can whip up in just 15 minutes! Pillowy and tender gnocchi smothered in a creamy basil and dried tomato sauce. An easy comforting dinner that you’ll keep making over and over again!

15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (1)

I love potato gnocchi as it’s great for making super quick meals and it’s also very versatile. I mean, I ALWAYS make sure that I have a bag of dried gnocchi in my pantry to cook on busy weeknights.

I’ve been obsessed with this gnocchi with pomodoro sauce recipe, and have been making it non-stop. It’s so simple, yet so satisfying and comforting!

I also love Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup, and recently shared a copycat recipe on my blog. It’s so cozy and tastes like a hug in a bowl, and can be easily made vegetarian so make sure to check it out.

This creamy pesto gnocchi dinner is even simpler than the recipes I shared above, but it’s equally as good, so let’s get into it!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Takes just 15 minutes from start to finish!
  • You only need 4 simple ingredients.
  • The flavor combo of sundried tomatoes and pesto is incredible.
  • Easy homemade comfort food.
  • It’s a family-friendly recipe.
  • Make ahead and reheat before serving.

Sauce For Gnocchi

This recipe is made with a simple 2 ingredient pesto cream sauce. I used heavy cream, and whisked in homemade fresh basil pesto. For extra flavor, I also added sundried tomatoes that are quickly cooked in their oil in a pan to release their flavor.

This recipe makes an awesome sauce for gnocchi. For a tomato-based gnocchi sauce, check out my gnocchi al pomodoro recipe. Or try the decadent cream sauce in my creamy chicken and gnocchi recipe instead.

15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2)

Ingredients for Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

You only need 4 ingredients to make this delicious pesto gnocchi dinner:

15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (3)

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

  • Gnocchi – use a pack of store-bought gnocchi, or homemade. I usually go for dried gnocchi, but you can also use dried or frozen if you like.
  • Pestohomemade or store-bought. I love making my own basil pesto at home, tastes WAY better than the jarred stuff!
  • Sundried tomatoes – from a jar in oil. In this recipe, I’m using a little bit of the oil and the tomatoes.
  • Heavy cream – to make this vegan, substitute with soy cream or cashew cream.

How to Make Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

  1. Cook the gnocchi. You have 2 options, you can either pan-fry the gnocchi for a crispy texture or boil them in water. I usually boil them in water until they float to the surface and that’s how I know that they’re ready.
  2. In a pan, heat sundried tomato oil (from the jar), add the chopped sundried tomatoes, and cook for a minute. This will help release their flavor.
  3. Add the cream, simmer for a minute (don’t boil), remove from heat, and mix in the basil pesto. Season with salt.
  4. Add the cooked and drained gnocchi to the sauce, and stir until the gnocchi is covered in the creamy sauce.
  5. Serve warm and if desired, top with parmesan (not vegetarian), or with vegetarian hard cheese.
15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (4)

Top Tips

  • Make your own homemade pesto, it’s so easy and tastes a million times better than the store-bought stuff. You can use spinach, kale, arugula, or even make a carrot top pesto using carrot tops!
  • If you’re a vegetarian, make sure that the pesto is suitable for vegetarians as it often contains parmesan. And top the gnocchi with grated vegetarian hard cheese or just skip it since it’s just a garnish.
  • Cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions (I also included some instructions in the recipe card).
  • Be careful with the salt if you’re planning to top with parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese as the cheese can be quite salty.
  • Keep this dish meat-free as is, or add crispy bacon. You can also serve it withgrilled chicken tendersfor a fun kid-friendly meal.
15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (5)

Storing Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, uncover, and microwave for 2 minutes stirring halfway through. You may need to add a splash of water when reheating to loosen the cream sauce.

I don’t recommend freezing this dish.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (6)

4.96 from 21 votes(Click stars to rate!)

Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Author: Diana

Print Rate Recipe

This 4-ingredient creamy pesto gnocchi dinner is a family-friendly vegetarian meal that you can whip up in just 15 minutes! Pillowy and tender gnocchi smothered in a creamy basil and dried tomato sauce. An easy comforting dinner that you'll keep making over and over again!

4 servings

This 4-ingredient creamy pesto gnocchi dinner is a family-friendly vegetarian meal that you can whip up in just 15 minutes! Pillowy and tender gnocchi smothered in a creamy basil and dried tomato sauce. An easy comforting dinner that you'll keep making over and over again!

Ingredients

  • 1 16- ounce package (450g) gnocchi
  • ½ cup sundried tomatoes in oil chopped
  • ¾ cup (180ml) heavy cream (double cream in the UK)
  • 4 tablespoons pesto
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • In a pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions.

  • In a pan over medium heat, heat sundried tomato oil and sear the sundried tomatoes for a minute just to release the flavor. Add the cream, simmer for a minute (don't boil), remove from heat and mix in the pesto. Season with salt.

  • Add the cooked and drained gnocchi to the sauce, and toss until the gnocchi is covered in sauce.

  • Serve warm. If desired, top with grated parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese.

Notes:

  • Make your own homemade pesto, it’s so easy and tastes a million times better than the store-bought stuff. You can use spinach, kale, arugula, or even make a carrot top pesto using carrot tops!
  • If you’re a vegetarian, make sure that the pesto is suitable for vegetarians as it often contains pesto. And top the gnocchi with grated vegetarian hard cheese or just skip it since it’s just a garnish.
  • Cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions (I also included some instructions in the recipe card).
  • Be careful with the salt if you’re planning to top with parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese as the cheese can be quite salty.
  • Keep this dish meat-free as is, or add crispy bacon. You can also serve it withgrilled chicken tendersfor a fun kid-friendly meal.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, uncover, and microwave for 2 minutes stirring halfway through. You may need to add a splash of water when reheating to loosen the cream sauce.
  • I don’t recommend freezing this dish.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 424kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 866mg, Potassium: 249mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1135IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 82mg, Iron: 5mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Review!

  1. Skylar says

    Would this recipe work with a sundried tomato pesto?

    Reply

    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      I haven’t tried that, but I think that it would be tasty that way! Go ahead and try it, and let me know what you think please!

      Reply

  2. Yesser says

    15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (13)
    Simple, easy, and delicious. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      Thank you so much for the feedback and the kind review.

      Reply

  3. Lesley says

    15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (14)
    Awesome

    Reply

    • Diana says

      Thank you so much for the 5-star rating!

      Reply

  4. Nandranie Ramballie says

    15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (15)
    These recipes are very easy and look delicious and yummy I will try to make them.

    Reply

  5. Erin says

    15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (16)
    I think maybe the sun dried tomato oil should be drained before adding the cream (or in my case I used coconut oil) and pesto because it came out very oily and the oil from the tomatoes that I got wasn’t very tasty, but overall great recipe! I loved how simple yet interesting it is!

    Reply

Older Comments12

15-Minute Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)
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