This Creamy One Pot Pesto Gnocchi is SO delicious. It’s the perfect meal to whip up during the weeknight and has incredible flavor…did I mention it’s one pot and SO easy?! Yes please!
Happy Friday, friends! Tomorrow I turn 14 weeks pregnant, praise the Lord! If you missed my pregnancy announcement on my Instagram, you can see it here! And don’t worry – keep a look out for a full post on my pregnancy/first trimester next week!
But – the point of all that is at this stage in my life I’m all for easy and simple meals during the week. And when I mean simple, I mean SIMPLE.
And this Creamy One Pot Pesto Gnocchi seriously hits the mark on this one!
Why You’ll Love This Meal:
First off – the FLAVOR! I love the creaminess of the sauce, made with a delicious combo of half and half and chicken broth. So it’s not like alfredo sauce creamy but perfectly savory with the pesto flavor!
Also it’s cheesy but not overly cheesy! The perfect amount of parmesan combines with the basil flavor of the pesto and it’s *chef’s kiss*!
The gnocchi is pillowy soft and gets coated by the sauce! It’s not dry at all – instead SUPER creamy and loaded with sauce.
You could easily add in a protein to this meal to bulk it up but I think that this meal is the perfect meatless meal!
Load it up in a bowl and I love adding extra cheese on top, red pepper flakes for some *spice* and of course, fresh basil for that herb goodness!
So let’s get into what ingredients you need to make this!
Ingredients You Need:
- Shelf stable potato gnocchi
- Pesto
- Chicken broth
- Half and half
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic
- Fresh basil
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper for taste
Best Tips for Making This Easy One Pot Dish:
This dish is insanely easy, guys, so no huge tips here!
I do recommend you go ahead and mince up the garlic. Get a large and deep sauce pan and get it hot on medium heat. Add in a splash of olive oil and then the garlic. Cook it for 1-2 minutes or until it becomes fragrant!
Next – add in the pesto! This is an easy meal so I used store-bought pesto and I have NO SHAME. If you want homemade, you should definitely try my Cashew Pesto!
Let that pesto heat up for a few seconds and then add in the chicken broth followed by the half and half.
Let that liquidy mixture come to a SOFT and gentle boil and then carefully add in the gnocchi. Remember to get shelf stable gnocchi – the potato kind! I just got mine at my local grocery store in the pasta aisle!
The gnocchi won’t take too long to cook – about 3-4 minutes. You can always take a little guy out and cut it in half to make sure it’s cooked to how you like it.
The mixture should have thickened as well – especially with the added starch of the potato gnocchi!
Reduce the heat once the gnocchi are done and stir in the fresh parmesan. Taste and add seasoning! Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to your liking!
Garnish with fresh basil, extra cheese (YES please) and of course, red pepper flakes if desired for an extra spicy bite.
This dish is fresh but also straight up comfort food which I’m here for! I hope you enjoy every single bite 🙂
Easy Add Ins:
Chicken would be an awesome protein to add in this meal!
Want it spicy? Try out spicy Italian sausage!
If you’re not into spicy, you could also do mild Italian sausage
I would never say no to crispy bacon on top of this goodness!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few other recipes you might like:
Sausage Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Creamy One Pot Pesto Gnocchi
This Creamy One Pot Pesto Gnocchi is SO delicious. It’s the perfect meal to whip up during the weeknight and has incredible flavor...did I mention it’s one pot and SO easy?! Yes please!
Ingredients
- 2 cloves Fresh garlic
- 16 oz pack shelf stable gnocchi
- 6.7 oz jar favorite store-bought pesto
- 1/2 cup Chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes + fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
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Mince the two cloves of garlic finely. In a large sauce pan, add a tsp of olive oil and let it heat up on medium heat.
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Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute.
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Add in the jar of pesto and mix around, letting it heat up. Let cook for 1 minute
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Add in the chicken broth and stir. Add in the half and half and stir.
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Let it come to a SOFT boil - not a rolling boil, but make sure it is gently simmering then add in the gnocchi and cook for 3-4 minutes or until gnocchi are cooked through.
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Reduce the heat and stir. Add the parmesan cheese and stir in. It should be thickened by now. Taste and if needed, add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
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Garnish with extra parmesan, fresh basil and red pepper flakes! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
The starch from the gnocchi should quickly help the sauce thicken. If it doesn't, just allow it to simmer gently for an extra few minutes or so, continually stirring.