This sun-dried tomato pesto gnocchi uses store-bought potato gnocchi and homemade pesto, making it a unique and comforting dish.
I'm a sucker for sun-dried tomatoes and have used it in a variety of dishes - from creamy sun-dried tomato chicken to sun-dried tomato burgers.
I've got a confession... I absolutely love gnocchi. While I've made plenty of homemade gnocchi, sometimes the store-bought version works just fine. And with this homemade sun-dried tomato pesto, you don't need to take time to make your own.
Pesto is just one of those things that I could eat every day. And I'll be honest, I do go plenty of days in a row eating it.
But back to the gnocchi. Cooking it on the stove top for a couple of minutes gives it an additional crispness that I really enjoyed.
To me this is simple comfort food at it's finest, although I do understand many people might not define pesto as comfort food. To each its own. So give this sun-dried tomato pesto gnocchi a try! And if you like more traditional pesto, you can never go wrong with this chicken pesto gnocchi.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Sun-dried tomato pesto - you can either buy some at the store to save time or make your own. I'm personally a fan of homemade pesto and it couldn't be easier to make.
- Gnocchi - as with the pesto, store-bought works great here. While homemade gnocchi is fantastic, it is some extra work.
- Chicken - this is an optional additional to the dish. While you can cook your own, rotisserie chicken works just as well.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the jar, reserving the oil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, pistachios, basil, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to a food processor and pulse until the pistachios are chopped.
With the food processor running, slowly add the reserved oil until incorporated. Add the cheese and pulse a few times until mixed. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Step-by-Step Photos
If using chicken, add to the skillet and cook until done. Boil the gnocchi according to package instructions and keep 1 cup of the water. Add the gnocchi to a large skillet with some olive oil and cook until crispy.
Finally stir in ½ cup of pesto with ½ cup of cooking water. Add the chicken back in and serve immediately.
FAQs
While we categorize gnocchi as pasta many times, including myself, it is actually not a form of pasta. It is a dumping made of out potatoes. What makes it similar, is you typically serve it with some type of sauce like pasta.
While I don't think homemade gnocchi is necessary for this meal, you can definitely make your own. I recommend ricotta gnocchi which you can find how to make in this baked ricotta gnocchi recipe.
Gnocchi is one pasta dish that works fine if you want to make ahead.
• Fridge - allow the the dish to cool before placing in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Then just reheat back on the stove top when ready.
• Freezer - place in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Once ready to eat, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove top when ready.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use fresh basil leaves to make the pesto. Never use dried basil as it tastes completely different.
- Toast the pistachios which adds a rich, roasted flavor to the pesto.
- Use quality olive oil as it contributes to the taste of this almond basil pesto.
- Add the Parmesan last so you don't overblend it.
- Use a non-stick skillet, otherwise the gnocchi will stick and you won't be able to flip it.
- If you want the meal to be vegetarian, just skip the chicken.
Other Gnocchi Recipes
If you’ve tried this sun-dried tomato pesto gnocchi or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 (8.5 oz jar) sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- ¾ cup unsalted roasted pistachios + more for topping
- ½ cup fresh basil + more for topping
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup reserved sun-dried tomato oil
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for topping
- 1 lb potato gnocchi
- 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ½ lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
- salt and black pepper
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the jar, reserving the oil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, pistachios, basil, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to a food processor and pulse until the pistachios are chopped. With food processor running, slowly add the reserved oil until incorporated. Add the cheese and pulse a few times until mixed.
- Heat non-stick large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoon olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook about 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Cook gnocchi according to instructions but keep 1 cup of cooking water before draining.
- Add 2 more tablespoon olive oil and add the gnocchi to same non-stick skillet in a single layer. Cook for about 3 minutes and then flip and cook another 3 minutes until both sides are crispy.
- Remove from heat and stir in about ½ cup of the pesto and ½ cup of cooking water to thin it out. Add more of each if necessary to coat the gnocchi. Stir back in the chicken. Top with some Parmesan, basil and pistachios and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use fresh basil leaves to make the pesto. Never use dried basil as it tastes completely different.
- Toast the pistachios which adds a rich, roasted flavor to the pesto.
- Use quality olive oil as it contributes to the taste of this almond basil pesto.
- Add the Parmesan last so you don't overblend it.
- Use a non-stick skillet, otherwise the gnocchi will stick and you won't be able to flip it.
- If you want the meal to be vegetarian, just skip the chicken.
Leave a Reply