Creamy Red Pesto Gnocchi
4.9 · 43 ratingsThis recipe marries the bold flavours of tomato and red pesto with the creamy texture of vegan cream cheese, creating a sauce that's both lush and tangy. With the foundation of umami from shallots and garlic, and a refreshing hit of lemon juice, the sauce perfectly complements the tender gnocchi. Each bite offers a balance of savoury depth and bright acidity, making for a dish that's rich in taste and satisfying in texture.
- Total: 25 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 15 min
Ingredients
servings
Tomato pesto sauce
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½ Tbsp (8ml)vegetable oil
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1medium shallot, chopped
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2garlic cloves, minced
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1⅔ cups (400g)canned whole peeled tomatoes
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⅓ cup (75g)plain vegan cream cheese
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¼ tspsalt
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⅛ tspground black pepper
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½lemon, juiced
Gnocchi
-
5½ cups (705g)vegan gnocchi
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½ Tbsp (8ml)vegetable oil
Optional garnish
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fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Add the oil, shallots and garlic to a medium pot, and cook until lightly golden.
- Add the tomatoes and pesto, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions. For us this took 2 minutes. Then drain.
- Heat some oil a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the drained gnocchi to the pan and cook until lightly golden on the outside. Cook in batches if necessary to not over-crowd the pan.
- Returning to the sauce, add in the cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth*.
- Transfer the tomato sauce to the sauté pan containing the gnocchi. Squeeze over the lemon juice, and stir to coat.
- Plate, garnish as desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- * Alternatively, blend in a standing blender.
Storage
- The gnocchi is best enjoyed freshly made.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day - any longer and the gnocchi tends to become overly firm. Ideally, reheat in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce and gnocchi up.
Make your own
Made it? Let us know what you think.
pickuplimes.com/recipe/creamy-red-pesto-gnocchi-1965
Creamy Red Pesto Gnocchi
Ingredients
Directions
Watch it step by step
Nutrition
Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.
Plate method
The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Here's how this recipe measures up.
- healthy fats (in this recipe)
- + calcium-rich foods (not in this recipe)
Tap a part of the plate to see what's in it.
- Veggies & fruits 20%
- medium shallot, garlic clove, canned whole peeled tomatoes, lemon
- Grains & starches 80%
- vegan gnocchi
- Healthy fats
- vegetable oil, plain vegan cream cheese
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Leave a comment
What a lovely, comforting yet simple dish! I skipped the blitzing and still really enjoyed it. It didn't take much effort and the pillowy texture of the gnocchi is perfect in that sauce.
I added a few handfuls of chopped spinach to the sauce and some roasted cherry tomatoes. Really tasty!
Sauce was very good — it would taste delicious with regular pasta if you don’t have gnocchi.
Taste is good, but could've used some additional texture.
lovely! delicious and simple :)
I loved the sauce! But the gnocchi disintegrated (my fault for doing too much at the same time). I might try it again with regular macaroni.
Had some leftover red pesto from making the Mediterranean lasagne last week, so thought I’d use it to make this as well and yum yum yum. Loved this so much. I ended up with about 800g of gnocchi with a mix of shelf stable and the frozen cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s, and there was definitely enough sauce for it. Also didn’t blend my sauce as my tomatoes broke down sufficiently enough and I didn’t want another dish to wash. Will definitely be making this again!
I’m so happy with this one. Perfect for my hankering for carbs. I appreciate the quick prep and cooking time
I love the sauce in this recipe and I’ve been using it for other pasta dishes too!
I don’t have vegan cream cheese, but swapped that out for soy yoghurt and it’s still very tasty (:
This was so delicious! Forgot the cream cheese initially and it was still yummy!
Super yummy but thats no surprise ☺️ It did turn out a bit more sour than I expected (despite not using any lemon juice), can this be because of the brand of pesto I used (store brand so probably not the best option out there haha) or can there be another reason?
Might be my new favourite dish! Delicious!
Absolutely delicious! Was so easy to make and family loved it
The sauce is a delight!
Super good sauce, I will be reusing the receipe for pastas etc!
Loved the recipe. the pesto i bought was not super tasty, but the dish turned out fine nevertheless!
The sauce is absolutely incredible! Unfortunately, I realized I just don't really appreciate gnocchi much hahaha but this recipe is so amazing and I'm definitely taking this sauce and spreading it over some nice pasta!
Really delicious recipe. Always works out great!
LOVE the sauce - I make it with spaghetti too. I add some sundried tomato pieces to it, really delicious!
First time making gnocchi with a red sauce and though my father was cautious of how it would turn out, I loved the end result! I also hadn't tried red pesto before and I really liked it! I am definitely going to use it again in future recipes!
This was my first time trying a recipe from the app and it was so good! I loved it❤️ the app is super user friendly, even the option to set up a timer is a nice detail to have 😄
Great recipe for a weekday dinner!
Thank you!
I needed a quick tea this evening, so thought we would try this. Finding gnocchi without milk took longer than cooking this! So quick and simple, but so tasty! I love that most of the ingredients can be store cupboard staples too. We had this with a salad for some greens and the two of us finished off the three portions, so good!
Tasty!
So easy to make ❤️ thank you
Tasty and easy!
Super delicious gnocchi recipe! We’re not vegan, but we love this as a vegetarian option. We do use ‘normal’ gnocchi and pesto. But I don’t think it makes a big difference in taste. We will make this recipe again for sure!
It was so delicious. I also threw in some sliced grilled sausages, it was leftovers from the party. :)
Made this recipe with normal pasta and gnocchi but I definitely recommend to use the gnocchi :)!!! Sauce is delicious.
Amazing flavour! ❤️ For protein I added red lentils which worked great. Next time I would also add some fresh crisp bell pepper or similar for some texture variety! 🫶🏻
so saucy we loved it!!!
This recipe was sooo lovely! It's like the vegan version of "gnocchi alla sorrentina". I'll surely cook this again. :)
I LOVE it!!! The lemon really surprised me how well it tastes in this dish. And it is super easy too😍
This was an outstanding meal! Such a delicious yet straightforward recipe that didn't take long to make! There was the perfect ratio of sauce to gnocchi and frying them before adding to the sauce was the best tip ever.
so so yummy!!
So good!
SO YUMMYYY!!!
I lovee it so much! This is awesome!
My boyfriend and I loved this!
Absolutely delicious.
Can't find store bought vegan pesto here and being allergic to milk I made my own, using PUL recipe, but forgot basil so had to replace it with kale. Worked absolute wonders. Sauce is delicious. I need to work a bit on my gnocchi frying skills.
Leftover sauce for pizza or pasta.
Used Philadelphia plant based cheese, worked amazing.
I've never fried gnocchi before but I'm going to do it forever from now on! Loved how creamy the sauce was too! I'll be making this again for sure :D
So delicious!!!
So quick to make and so delicious I licked my plate clean, no shame.
This seems like a great recipe! Which cream cheese do you use/recommend? I'm from the Netherlands and I think you live there too. :)