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https://fuckingdelicious.co/recipes/trader-joes-pesto-gnocchi-skillet
Dinners
Trader Joe's Pesto Gnocchi Skillet
If the brown butter sage gnocchi is the fancy date night version, this pesto gnocchi skillet is the 'I got home at 7:30 and I need food in my face by 7:45' version. Same Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi. Same pan-fry method (because we don't follow bag instructions in this house). But instead of browning butter and frying sage like some Italian grandmother, you're tossing the crispy gnocchi with a couple spoonfuls of TJ's Vegan Kale Cashew & Basil Pesto and a handful of their jarred sun dried tomatoes. It takes ten minutes. Ten. I've spent longer deciding what to watch on Netflix than it takes to make this dinner. The pesto coats every piece of gnocchi in this herby, nutty, garlicky sauce and the sun dried tomatoes add these chewy, tangy, intensely flavorful little bombs of umami. Shower it with parmesan and you've got a meal that looks like you planned it. You didn't plan it. You opened three things and turned on a burner. But nobody needs to know that. This is the Trader Joe's dinner that made my roommate ask 'did you order this?' No, Tyler. I cooked. It took ten minutes and I'm better than you. Let's fucking go.
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz) bag Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi (frozen)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tbsp Trader Joe's Vegan Kale Cashew & Basil Pesto (refrigerated section)
- 1/4 cup Trader Joe's Sun Dried Tomatoes (julienne cut, from the jar)
- 2 big handfuls baby spinach
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Pan-fry the gnocchi
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the frozen cauliflower gnocchi in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until golden on the bottom. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Same rules as the brown butter version: don't touch them, don't move them, don't breathe on them until they're golden.
- 2
Add the good stuff
Toss in the baby spinach and let it wilt for about 30 seconds. Add the pesto and sun dried tomatoes. Toss everything together until the gnocchi are evenly coated in pesto and the spinach is wilted but still bright green. If the pesto seems too thick, add a splash of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar. That oil is basically liquid flavor and it loosens the pesto perfectly.
- 3
Finish and eat
Kill the heat. Hit it with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pile on the parmesan. Eat it straight out of the skillet because you're already standing at the stove and transferring to a plate is just adding a dish to wash. Ten minutes. That's all this took. You're welcome.
Baker's Notes
- The kale cashew pesto is in the refrigerated section near the fresh pasta and hummus. Don't use the jarred shelf-stable pesto. The fresh one has a brighter, more herbaceous flavor that actually tastes like basil instead of green oil.
- Use the oil from the sun dried tomato jar. I cannot say this loud enough. That oil is infused with tomato, garlic, and herbs and it's basically free sauce. Drizzle it into the pesto to thin it out and add depth.
- If you want protein, add TJ's Grilled Chicken Strips or crumble their Italian Chicken Sausage into the pan before adding the gnocchi. Both are pre-cooked so they just need to warm through.
- This works with the kale gnocchi and the sweet potato gnocchi too. The sweet potato version with pesto is a color combination that belongs in an art museum.
- Leftovers are good cold the next day as a gnocchi pesto salad situation. Just add a squeeze of lemon to brighten it back up.
Nutrition
Calories
340
Fat
18g
Carbs
35g
Protein
9g
Sugar
4g
Serving
1/2 recipe
Notes
FAQ
What's the difference between this and the brown butter sage version?
Can I use regular potato gnocchi?
My pesto tastes bitter.
Is this actually healthy?
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