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Creamy pesto gnocchi on a white plate.

Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

published by: Julia
Creamy pesto gnocchi is a delicious and easy pasta dish made with ricotta gnocchi and a creamy spinach and basil pesto sauce. Unlike traditional pesto dishes, this recipe incorporates heavy cream into the pesto, turning it into a rich and velvety sauce with a vibrant green color. It's a satisfying and hearty meal that can be enjoyed as a main course or as a side dish alongside a larger meal.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 5 minutes
Total 20 minutes
Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 3 - 4 servings (depending if you serve it as a main course or as a side dish)
Calories 812 kcal

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender

Ingredients
  

For the pesto:
  • 15 g fresh basil leaves
  • 80 g baby spinach leaves
  • 100 g Parmesan cheese - grated
  • 60 g cashews - roasted, unsalted
  • 2 garlic cloves - minced
  • 60 g extra virgin olive oil
  • 100 ml heavy cream
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
  • 500 g ricotta gnocchi or potato gnocchi
  • Parmesan shavings

Instructions
 

  • To prepare the pesto, add the fresh basil leaves, baby spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, roasted cashews, and minced garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until the ingredients are finely chopped and well combined. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is mixed evenly. Then, while the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil and mix until the pesto turns into a smooth and cohesive paste. Transfer the pesto to a small mixing bowl and stir in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Season the pesto with salt and black pepper.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, slowly and gently heat the pesto in a large skillet over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. Make sure that the pesto is evenly heated through, but don’t let it come to a boil. Gentle heating helps maintain the sauce's smooth and creamy texture, as well as its fresh taste and vibrant color.
  • Once the water is boiling, add a generous amount of salt and cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface. For fresh gnocchi, this takes only about 2 minutes. Keep an eye on them and avoid overcooking, as this will make the gnocchi overly soft and mushy. As soon as they float to the top, drain them with a pasta spider or skimmer and transfer them directly to the skillet with the pesto. Toss and stir until the gnocchi are evenly coated with sauce. Serve the gnocchi immediately with freshly ground black pepper and shavings of extra Parmesan cheese.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 812kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 24gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 1132mgPotassium: 366mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3518IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 497mgIron: 9mg
Keywords basil pesto, creamy pesto gnocchi, gnocchi recipe, homemade gnocchi, Pesto Recipe, ricotta gnocchi, vegetarian pasta dish