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This Pesto Gnocchi is the simple dinner your busy weeknight needs! Soft pillowy gnocchi baked with delicious veggies, then tossed in our own homemade pesto. Have this flavorful meal prepped for the oven in less than 10 minutes!

a white plate of vegan roasted pesto gnocchi

This recipe is inspired by a recent trip to Trader Joe’s where we picked up their cauliflower gnocchi, vegan pesto, and veggies. We loved how it came together so we decided to make the recipe again, but this time take it to the next level with our homemade pesto and a larger assortment of vegetables. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, and serving a crowd (double the recipe as needed)!

ingredients for pesto gnocchi in white bowls in a circle

Ingredients You’ll Need 

  • Potato Gnocchi: We purchased store-bought gnocchi at Trader Joe’s, but feel free to use your favorite. You can even make your own homemade gnocchi ahead of time, if desired. When ready to bake, don’t worry about boiling the gnocchi ahead of time. Roasting it helps give the tender gnocchi more of a crispy bite instead of being mushy (which we prefer!).
  • Veggies: We used fresh zucchini, cherry tomatoes, white onion, bell peppers, and white button mushrooms. However, you can use any fresh veggies of your choice for a simple variation. Have fun with this and use it as an opportunity to clean out the fridge or use up those garden vegetables during the summer months.
  • Olive Oil: For the best results and flavor, use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil to roast your gnocchi and veggies. If preferred or necessary, olive oil can be substituted with another quality oil of choice such as avocado oil, or even refined coconut oil.
  • Pesto: We typically like to use our own homemade pesto made from pine nuts, garlic cloves, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, and olive oil. We find it to be more flavorful than store-bought basil pesto, but store-bought pesto will work, or even another flavorful pesto sauce such as baby spinach pesto, vegan garlic basil pesto, or even avocado pesto!
  • Vegan parmesan: We like to top our roasted pesto gnocchi with vegan parmesan. The brand Kelly’s Croutons has a delicious store-bought vegan parmesan, but we also have this easy 4-Ingredient Parmesan if you want to make your own!

Variations

Equipment Needed

How to Make Pesto Gnocchi

  1. Spread pasta ingredients on a baking sheet. On a lined baking sheet, add the gnocchi, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, and bell peppers. Drizzle everything with olive oil, then toss to coat.
  2. Bake. Spread everything out into a single layer, then bake for 35 minutes or until the gnocchi starts to become crispy. About halfway through baking, give it a good mix to ensure even baking.
  3. Coat in pesto. Remove the pasta ingredients from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer everything to a large bowl along with 1/4 cup of pesto. Mix until well coated, adding more pesto as desired.
  4. Serve. Pesto gnocchi is best served warm with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese to taste.

What Goes Well with Gnocchi?

Pesto gnocchi can be served as a delicious lunch or easy dinner main. We often like to pair it with our garlic bread, but it can also be paired with a simple salad or additional roasted vegetables like green beans, Brussels sprouts, or asparagus spears. Here are a few of our favorite side dish recipes to serve with this cozy comfort food!

Bread Sides

Salad Sides

Storage Instructions

Once cooked, pesto gnocchi will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezing cooked gnocchi is not recommended as this is likely to make the texture of the potato gnocchi mushy.

Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a large skillet on the stovetop until warmed through.

a white plate of vegan roasted pesto gnocchi

More Easy Pasta Recipes You May Enjoy: 

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!

Print
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a white plate of vegan roasted pesto gnocchi

Easy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Sweet Simple Vegan
  • Total Time: 43 minutes
  • Yield: 3 servings
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This Pesto Gnocchi is the simple dinner your busy weeknight needs! Soft pillowy gnocchi baked with delicious veggies then tossed in our own homemade pesto. Have this flavorful meal prepped for the oven in less than 10 minutes!


Ingredients

  • 1 (16 oz.) package of uncooked gnocchi
  • 18 cherry tomatoes
  • 8 white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
  • 1/2 small onion, cut into medium chunks
  • 1/2 large bell pepper, cut into medium chunks
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or oil of choice)
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup vegan pesto
  • Vegan parmesan, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. Add the gnocchi, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, and bell peppers to the baking sheet. Drizzle everything with the olive oil and them toss everything together until well coated. Spread everything out into an even layer and place into the oven.
  3. Bake for 35 minutes or until the gnocchi starts to become crispy, mixing halfway through.
  4. Remove from the oven and allow everything to cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer everything to a large bowl along with the 1/4 cup of vegan pesto and mix until everything is well coated. Add more pesto as desired.
  5. Serve warm with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan and enjoy!

Notes

  • Potato Gnocchi: No need to boil it either! We just pop it onto the baking sheet straight out of the package. Roasting it helps give it more of a crispy bite instead of it being mushy which we prefer. If you’ve never tried roasting gnocchi, this is the perfect recipe to give it a go with.
  • Veggies: You can really use any fresh veggies of your choice, have fun with this!
  • Pesto: We are using homemade pesto, but you can also use a store-bought pesto, just be sure that there is no dairy in it to ensure that it is vegan. Trader Joe’s has a delicious vegan cashew kale pesto that we like.
  • Parmesan: Kelly’s Croutons has a delicious pre-made parmesan, and we also have this easy 4-Ingredient Parmesan if you want to make your own.
  • Olive Oil: Using a high-quality olive oil to roast your gnocchi and veggies helps add flavor and get them nice and crispy. You could also opt for another oil of your choice as preferred.
  • Prep Time: 8 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: Oven

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Meet The Bloggers

hey there! we’re jasmine & chris.

Hi, we’re Jasmine and Chris! We share fresh and fun recipes to show you that vegan cooking is easy, approachable and delicious. When we’re not blogging, you will probably find us enjoying live music, tending to our backyard garden or playing with our dogs Berry and Louie

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3 Comments

  1. so yummy and easy to make!! it’s easy to switch out and out the veg which i love. definitely recommend!






  2. I made this yesterday and it was very delicious! I have never put my gnocchi in the oven before and it was the best idea. I love the way it turned out, it is so easy and the sauce is delicious from your website as well 🙂 I highly reccomend it.






  3. Loved this recipe. Super easy, veggie-packed, and delicious! This was our first time roasting gnocchi and I think it is my new favorite way to prepare. Such great texture.