Easy Pesto Gnocchi

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!

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 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

• Gluten-free variation: If you are gluten-free, replace the traditional gnocchi with a gluten-free gnocchi. You can also try making your own homemade gluten-free gnocchi. Give it a try with our Vegetable Gluten-Free Gnocchi recipe next.
• Pair with another cream sauce: After this creamy pesto gnocchi dinner, try our Pumpkin Gnocchi with a creamy Garlic and Sage Butter Sauce. It even includes a homemade pillowy potato gnocchi recipe.
• Nut-free homemade basil pesto: Most pesto recipes are made with nuts, but if you are allergic to nuts or simply looking for a nut free pesto, you’ll love this Easy Nut-Free Pesto recipe made with sunflower seeds.

Equipment Needed

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper or a silicone mat
• Large mixing bowl

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

• Easy Vegan Garlic Bread
• 4-Ingredient No Knead Bread
• Vegan Pandesal (Filipino Bread Rolls)
• Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls

Salad Sides

• Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
• Simple green salad with Italian Dressing and Homemade Croutons
• Grilled Romaine Lettuce

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.

More Easy Pasta Recipes You May Enjoy: 

• 15-Minute One Pot Pasta – this super simple pasta is made with 10 simple ingredients in one pot or skillet!
• Easy Garlic and Herb Pasta – a flavor-packed pasta packed with delicious flavor.
• Miso Garlic Butter Pasta – the perfect combo of miso-garlicky flavors. This one’s so simple to make!
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce – made with oven-roasted peppers and tomatoes that are blended into a creamy sauce.
• Simple Lemon Olive Oil Pasta – a bright, zesty pasta dish perfect for spring.
• Easy Butternut Squash Ravioli – learn how to make ravioli from scratch with our easy recipe.

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!

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