Pan Fried Gnocchi with Pesto
Golden, crispy gnocchi meets garden-fresh pesto! Pan-fried until perfectly golden, pillowy gnocchi are tossed in a vibrant basil-spinach pesto, with bursts of blistered cherry tomatoes and a jalapeño kick. Creamy mascarpone, Parmesan, and a splash of pasta water come together in under an hour for an irresistible, cozy Italian-seasonal meal. Save this and make your weeknight dinner unforgettable!
Ingredients
- 1 pack of gnocchi 500g
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 jalapeños sliced
- ¼ cup pasta water
- ¼ cup mascarpone
- ¼ cup parmesan
Pesto
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 ¼ cups tender baby spinach stems removed
- 1 ¼ cups basil leaves stems removed
- 3 ice cubes keeps the pesto vibrant green
- ½ cup parmesan grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pesto
- Garlic oil. Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add the oil and garlic. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes to infuse the oil and mellow the garlic. The garlic should be a light golden colour not brown, so remove from the heat or lower the heat if the garlic is browning. Let cool completely before adding to the pesto.
- Toast the pine nuts. Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts and stir frequently to prevent burning. Toast for about 3-5 minutes until they turn golden brown and fragrant. Let cool.
- Blend ingredients. Add the spinach, basil and ice cubes into a food processor and blend. Next add the parmesan, pine nuts, garlic oil and salt.
Gnocchi
- Boil the gnocchi as per package instructions (or bring 3 litres of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and the gnocchi. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.)
- Reserve ¼ cup pasta water.
- Strain the gnocchi, set aside.
- Blister the tomatoes. Add ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat in the oil. Cover the tomatoes and cook, tossing occasionally until their skins begin to blister, approximately 6-8 minutes. Add the sliced jalapeños into the skillet and stir the combine. Cook uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Brown the gnocchi (optional). Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat through. Add the gnocchi in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned to your liking. Flip the gnocchi and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Mix everything together. Add the pesto into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pasta water, mascarpone, and parmesan, stir to combine. Next add the blistered tomatoes, jalapeños, and gnocchi. Gently stir to incorporate and warm everything though, about 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Rate this Recipe. If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!
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