Pesto Pea Gnocchi Skillet (Printable)

Crispy shelf-stable gnocchi pan-fried to golden perfection, then tossed with fragrant basil pesto, sweet peas, and Parmesan for a quick vegetarian dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Gnocchi

01 - 18 ounces shelf-stable potato gnocchi

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
03 - 2 cups baby spinach, optional

→ Pesto

04 - 1/3 cup basil pesto, store-bought or homemade
05 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

→ Aromatics and Oils

06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

09 - Fresh basil leaves, optional
10 - Lemon zest, optional

# Directions:

01 - Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
02 - Add the gnocchi in an even layer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes until golden and crisp on all sides.
03 - Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Stir in the thawed peas and spinach, if using. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the peas are heated through and spinach has wilted.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Add the basil pesto and Parmesan cheese, tossing until the gnocchi and vegetables are evenly coated and heated through.
06 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately garnished with extra Parmesan, fresh basil, and lemon zest if desired.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • Ready in under thirty minutes with minimal cleanup, so your Tuesday nights stop feeling like a sprint.
  • The crispy-golden gnocchi creates this incredible textural contrast that makes each forkful feel indulgent.
  • Pesto does most of the flavor work, so you get restaurant-quality taste from practically no effort.
02 -
  • The gnocchi needs that initial hot pan time without too much stirring to develop the crust—I learned this by being impatient and ending up with soft, pale gnocchi that felt more like a sad dumpling soup.
  • Pesto is temperature-sensitive and loses its brightness if you cook it too long; that low-heat finishing step matters more than you'd think.
03 -
  • Arrange gnocchi in a single layer and resist the urge to move it constantly—those golden moments come from patience, not fidgeting.
  • Use store-bought pesto without guilt; it's genuinely good, and homemade is a bonus not a requirement if you want to actually enjoy your evening.
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