Creamy Gnocchi Pesto is a rich and satisfying dish featuring melt-in-your-mouth potato dumplings in a bright and herby ricotta pesto. The best part is it only takes 10 minutes to make!
Combine ingredients - In a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, add ricotta, pesto, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Mix the ingredients together until combined.
½ cup whole fat or skim ricotta, 6-8 tablespoon homemade pesto or store-bought pesto, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, kosher salt or sea salt
Cook gnocchi - In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add gnocchi to the water, stir, and cook until the gnocchi floats to the top of the water, about 3 minutes. Reserve a quarter cup of the gnocchi water, drain the gnocchi, and transfer to the mixing bowl or serving bowl with the ricotta pesto mixture. Toss until the gnocchi with a tablespoon of the reserved water and gently fold sauce reaches a silky consistency. Note: You don’t have to use all of the reserved water and the amount necessary will depend on the thickness of the pesto.
1 lb gnocchi
Serve - Serve the gnocchi in bowls with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and garnish with fresh basil ribbons if desired.
parmigiano-reggiano, basil for garnish
Video
Notes
Storage
Refrigerate leftover pesto gnocchi in an air-tight container for up to 2 days. In order to reheat it, place leftover gnocchi in a braiser or dutch oven. Then reheat it over low heat, stirring occasionally until hot.
Top Tips
If you prefer a greener sauce, decrease the ricotta and increase the pesto. You can also omit the ricotta and just use pesto with lemon juice and zest.
Salt the pasta water so the gnocchi will be extra flavorful.
Be careful to not overcook the gnocchi or it will become mushy and watery. The gnocchi should be tender and chewy, not mushy.
Makesure the sauce is well mixed with the gnocchi so the sauce coats each gnocchi.
Enjoy this creamy pesto gnocchi with a delicious roll or baguette to dip in the pesto sauce.
If you refrigerate the pesto separately, remix it before using it because the ingredients can separate overnight.