I’ve been feeling under the weather the past few days, and my usually good appetite has been annoyingly dulled. As someone who looks forward to every meal, I view this as an unpleasant side effect of being sick. But when I heard my stomach loudly growling on my commute home tonight, I knew I was on the mend. It might have been growling because I knew I had this pesto gnocchi in my future, too.
I think too many gnocchi dishes are overly dense and heavy, but this dish strikes a perfect balance: the soft, pillowy gnocchi soak up the bright flavors of the homemade pesto, and the crisp asparagus and arugula lighten it up and provide a refreshing change in texture. It’s no longer all about the gnocchi, which, delicious as it is, really needs some contrasting elements alongside it.
I just realized that this is the third recipe on the blog that involves pesto, which shouldn’t surprise me since I love it so much. With such a burst of flavors, it’s one of my favorite ways to add interest to a meal. And despite feeling like a special recipe, I love how quickly it comes together and how easy it is to customize based on individual tastes. Although traditional pesto includes parmesan cheese, I kept this version dairy-free and ended up loving it. I found that it gave the pesto a sweeter, silkier taste without the cheese. If you’re a cheese fan, try out my other pesto recipes here and here.
Coming together in just about 10 minutes, this dish is perfect for when you’re in a hurry but still want something that feels special.
- For the pesto:
- Large handful fresh basil (about 1 cup)
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove, skin still on
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the gnocchi:
- 1 16-ounce package of gnocchi
- About 2 cups of chopped asparagus, stems removed
- About 3 cups fresh arugula, washed and dried
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts (optional)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
- While the water for the gnocchi is coming to a boil, prepare the pesto. Toast the garlic clove (with its skin still on) in a skillet for about five minutes, flipping it occasionally so it is lightly browned evenly. Remove from the skillet and peel before adding to a food processor along with all of the other pesto ingredients. Process until smooth and add a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Prepare the gnocchi according to the package directions. When there is one minute left in the boiling time, add the asparagus to the pot with the gnocchi to blanch it.
- After straining the gnocchi and asparagus, add it back to the pot and mix in the pesto. If you want your arugula to be slightly wilted, add it at this time to the pot. If you would like it to remain crisp, simply wait a few more minutes for the gnocchi to cool a little. Mix everything well and season with additional salt, pepper, a few more pine nuts and some crushed red pepper for a bit of spice.
This is a delicious variation on the pesto theme. It’s not what you’d call a light meal, but it wasn’t leaden either. The asparagus and arugula were an excellent way to get some vegetables with a little crunch, add flavor and lower the density. The red pepper flakes were a good addition, too, I thought. It’s a fabulous all-in-one dinner!
I’m glad you liked the pinch of red pepper flakes, but I guess I should have figured as much! Thanks for being a taste-tester again!
I’m glad to hear you are feeling better! I’m actually feeling under the weather too right now but I would still devour a bowl of this. It looks so good! And the more pesto recipes, the better. 🙂
Aw, I hope you are feeling better by now, Sarah! I’m glad you’re a pesto fan too – it’s so versatile, isn’t it?
Oh I know what you mean about the disappointment when you don’t have an appetite. Glad you’re back to normal and you shared this dish. I love the green trio here. I rarely eat gnocchi but I loved your quinoa pesto dish, which I had omitted the parmesan from actually and subbed in a little nutritional yeast. So I’m sure I’ll love this one.
Thank you, Katie! I thought it was fun to keep everything in the dish green. I don’t eat gnocchi often, but with the veggies in here it feels quite different from the usual heavy gnocchi dishes I see. I love your idea to add nutritional yeast to pesto! I’m going to try that out soon.
Feeling crappy is a bummer, so happy you’re on the mend. Being sick really slows me down, and definitely affects my appetite too.
Ohhh…. pesto and gnocchi! There’s so much going on in this salad… flavor and texture wise. Look at the asparagus tucked in there, so much green goodness going on! Love the balance of light and heavy. And It’s ready in 10? I’ll take it! Thank you Julia!
Thanks, my dear! I know you’re an asparagus fan too, so I figured you’d like that bit 🙂 Ready in 10 is always a huge bonus for me too!
Hope you are feeling better! Great idea to pair gnocchi with something so light and fresh! Beautiful and perfect for Spring 🙂
Thank you, Emma! Hope your big move is going well! xo
pesto! yes, this is what I need to be doing with ALL my herbs right about now… I’ve gone from not being able to grow the darn things for beans to fearing spoilage, which is such a shame. This looks delicious Julia and I love how you describe it too – I want to float off on these soft heavenly gnocchi pillows :). Wonderful medley of greens with the contrasting textures and flavors, and… red pepper flakes for the win! :D. That second photo really shows off the quality and personality of this dish – beautiful.
When it rains it pours, right Kelly? That’s funny you mention that, because a few years ago my mom had some tomato plants that were simply out of control – it felt like we were eating them three times a day and still had a surplus. Pesto would be perfect for your herbs, and you could also put the pesto in an ice cube tray and freeze it for later. I’m glad you liked my gnocchi pillow phrase 🙂 Thanks for your thoughtful comment, as always!
Bring on as many pesto recipes as you want, Julia – I’m love pesto in all forms. This looks great – love the gnocchi, asparagus, arugula combination and then, of course, the pesto. And anything that looks this good and takes 10 minutes is going to be on top of my must try list. Thanks, Julia!
Thanks, Geraldine! I definitely remember that you’re a fan of both pesto and quick meals, so I hope you enjoy this. Hope all is well with you!
Julia, i made the pesto gnocchi for 16 people yesterday amd it was an instant success ! Yours was the most popular blog in our conversation at the lunch table. Delicious! So tasty and delicate! Thanks a lot!!
My mother was so eager to know how I did them… But I will have to export the pine nuts… (I will)
LOLove!
That is so exciting, Silvia! I’m thrilled to hear that everyone liked the dish. I’m sure you liked how quickly it came together, too. Is it hard to find pine nuts in Argentina? She could use almonds instead, but it won’t be as creamy. Lots of love!
“Gnoquis al Pesto” riquísimos… diferentes…
Ayer los probé en casa dede SilviaSilvia y me encantaron.
Me gustaría saber si tienes algunas recetas de ensaladasdes vegetarianas sin verduras con hoja…
Mil gracias… Y ÉXITOS!!
Gracias Raquel! Estoy muy contenta de que hayas disfrutado las recetas. Tengo un par de ensaladas de granos que te puedan gustar – una con lentejas y avellanas, y una con farro . Tal vez le gustaría esos!