Name: Gnocchi with Vegetables and Pesto
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) package of gnocchi; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; 1 red pepper, diced; 1 zucchini, diced; ½ cup (75 g) of red cherry tomatoes, sliced in half; 1 clove of garlic, minced; ¼ cup (60 ml) of pesto; salt and pepper to taste; ¼ cup (22 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tbsp (30 g) fresh basil, roughly chopped

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This Gnocchi with Vegetables and Pesto is a 15-minute dinner idea that is perfect for a weeknight meal! It’s one of my favorite quick and easy pasta recipes because gnocchi cooks even faster than pasta!

Toss in some fresh veggies, basil, and jarred pesto and you’ll have one fantastic dinner, in less than 15 minutes! Seriously! Don’t believe me? Watch my video demo below and you’ll see how quick it is!

What is Gnocchi and How is it Served?

Gnocchi is a small potato dumpling, traditionally made with riced potato and sometimes flour.
It cooks very quickly and is boiled like pasta.
Anything you toss pasta in, can also be tossed with gnocchi. Meat sauces, pesto sauces, cream sauces you name it!
There are also variations of gnocchi you can make at home which are also great! Such as my Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter.
But you can’t beat the ease and time-saving benefits of store-bought gnocchi!

Step#1: Slice the Peppers

I find cutting the sides of the pepper off first, saves more of the pepper, as opposed to slicing off the top and bottom first.
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is cutting the vegetables, but after that is done it’s all downhill from there.
Here’s my favorite way to cut a bell pepper in 3 easy steps.

Slicing a pepper for the pesto sauce — First slice the sides of the pepper

Watch My Video Demo Below

Step#2: Cut off the bottom and the top of the pepper

This will leave you with the stem and the core to discard.
Clean out the seeds and you are ready to dice the pepper.

a bell pepper sliced showing the end and stem of the bel pepper — After cutting off the sides you’ll be left with the top and the core

Step#3: Slice and Dice the Vegetables

Always turn your vegetables around to place them flat side down to cut.
It’s the safest way to cut a vegetable and will prevent cutting yourself due to sliding vegetables.
It’s also easier that way too since you can be more precise! When you want a dinner to cook up quickly, the smaller the vegetables are, the quicker they will cook!

Dicing a red bell pepper on a cutting board — Then dice the peppers into bite-sized pieces

Swapping Out the Gnocchi

I love the store-bought gnocchi because it cooks up so quickly! It also has a really comforting texture too!
But you really can use any pasta you like with this recipe, penne and spaghetti are also good choices if you’d like to serve this dish chilled, as a summer salad.
It would be similar to my Cold Tortellini Salad which is a wonderful picnic salad or side dish to Ribs or Burgers.

Step#4: Saute the Veggies and The Sauce

Saute the vegetables in a large skillet, once they are tender ad the pesto sauce and if you want it extra cream you can add a dash of heavy cream. That’s really good too!
I’m a big fan of homemade pesto sauce, but I also get that it may not always be possible to make your own, especially when basil is out of season.
So when I reach for the store-bought pesto, I go for the jarred variety. It will last longer that way, and it is great to tuck it away in your fridge and go to it when you just need a dollop or two!
Some of my favorite pesto recipes that use just a dollop are my Mini Quiches, my Tarte au Soleil, or my Cheesy Pesto Chicken Bake.

More Easy Pasta Recipes!

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