Creamy Tomato Pesto Gnocchi
Say goodbye to boring pasta nights and hello to Creamy Tomato Pesto Gnocchi. A delicious twist on a classic dish that will make your taste buds sing!
I love gnocchi. I’ve made butternut squash gnocchi and pumpkin gnocchi. What I love even MORE about gnocchi? How low fat it is! Did you know that? It’s a beautiful thing with our new nutrition change. I can eat a LOT of gnocchi. They’re pillows of potato-y goodness that go with almost any sauce! Especially this tomato pesto sauce.
Creamy Tomato Pesto Gnocchi is a simple dish and quick to make
And this sauce is really easy! Take a cup of sun-dried tomatoes, julienne, and reconstitute them in 1 cup of boiling water. Allow that to steep at least 30 minutes to a few hours, blend, simmer with some basil paste, Parmesan cheese, and just before serving, add in the half and half. I reconstituted my tomatoes the night before and then put them in the fridge for dinner the next night. If you follow this plan, you can literally have dinner on the table in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the gnocchi.
Oh! And did I tell you how quickly they cook? Once the water boils, it’s anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. You put them in the water and as soon as the float, they’re done! MINUTES I tell you! That’s another reason why I love gnocchi; they’re super quick!! Toss them with store bought sauce, toss them with browned butter and spinach, toss them with Parmesan and some cream, toss them with ANYTHING and you have a super simple and tasty dinner ready in minutes.
Yeah, I know. It’s not a pretty picture, but grab a fork because you’re going to want to dive right in! The tangy tomatoes, the tender gnocchi, the cream …um…cream. LOL
As soon as the gnocchi floated, I tossed them with the sauce. If you’re sauce is still a little too thick, feel free to add some of the pasta water to the pan. It will loosen it up and you’ll get that added benefit of the flavor of the pasta water. OR you could just add more cream. Your choice!
I really shouldn’t type up posts while I’m hungry. This shot just reminds of how yummy this dish really was. I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did. Make sure to serve it with some nice garlic bread to sop up the rest of the sauce. Trust me when I say, you will not want to leave a single lick of sauce left on your plate.
Creamy Tomato Pesto Gnocchi
Move over Alfredo, there's a new sauce in town. Creamy Tomato Pesto Gnocchi is the perfect blend of flavors for a delicious and easy dinner tonight!
Ingredients
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienne
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons basil pasta (or finely chopped basil)
- 1/2 cup fat free half and half
- 1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fat free vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup fat free half and half
Instructions
- Cook the gnocchi according to package directions.
- Steep the tomatoes in the hot water until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the juice for later.
- Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add the garlic paste, basil paste, 1/2 cup half and half and Parmesan cheese. Process until smooth. If needed, add some of the reserved tomato water to allow the mixture to become smooth.
- Once the gnocchi are cooked through, place in a skillet, coated with cooking spray, over medium-high heat. Simmer until the sauce is heated through. Add the vegetable broth and remaining fat free half and half as needed.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 395Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 42mgSodium 417mgCarbohydrates 71gFiber 5gSugar 9gProtein 14g
Where do you buy your gnocchi from?
Angelina, I usually buy them in the pasta aisle. They're vacuum sealed with the rest of the pasta.
I love gnocchi! What a great, simple dish. Thanks for hosting the Meatless Monday round up =)
Thanks for linking up with us, Shaina! You're dishes look delicious!
It's been eons since I've made gnocchi…thanks for the reminder…and the terrific sauce recipe!
Thanks for stopping by, Liz! I've never made them. I just love eating them.
I had a meatless meal last night. They help with the budget & they're really good. I love gnocchi, yum! Happy Monday!
I love them, too Leslie! They're so veratile.