Pesto Gnocchi with Roasted Veggies & Toasted Pine Nuts

Cheesy, toasty, pesto-y comfort—without the “Where’s the meat?” question

Sometimes you just want something warm, green, and vaguely Italian that doesn’t involve a full carb coma or trying to wrestle with homemade pasta. Enter: pesto gnocchi. It’s comforting, vegetarian-friendly, and—let’s be real—any excuse to pan-fry gnocchi until it’s crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside is one worth taking.

This dish is all about convenience meeting cleverness. We’re taking store-bought gnocchi, dressing it up in its best pesto, tossing it with caramelised roasted veggies, and finishing it with toasted pine nuts and parmesan like the classy solo diner you are.

No blender, no pasta roller, no stress.

🛒 What You’ll Need (serves one, but easy to double if you’ve got company… or big hunger)

Main bits:

1 cup store-bought gnocchi
1 small zucchini, chopped
½ red capsicum, sliced
A small handful of cherry tomatoes
1–2 tbsp pesto (store-bought or homemade if you’re feeling ambitious)
1 tbsp pine nuts
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
A splash of gnocchi cooking water (trust me)
Grated parmesan, to serve

🍳 How to Make It

1. Roast your veggies

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
Toss zucchini, capsicum, and cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Roast for about 20 minutes until soft, sweet, and lightly caramelised around the edges.

(Tip: Do this while watching exactly one half of a cooking show you’ll never attempt.)

2. Toast the pine nuts

In a small dry pan, toast pine nuts over low heat until golden. Shake the pan often—they go from golden to burnt quicker than a forgotten group chat.

3. Cook the gnocchi

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook gnocchi for 2–3 minutes or until they float.
Scoop them out with a slotted spoon (don’t toss the water yet), then pan-fry them in a little olive oil until golden and crispy.

4. Mix and serve

Add roasted veg and pesto to the gnocchi.
Splash in a tablespoon of that reserved cooking water to loosen things up and make it all glossy.
Stir gently to combine, top with pine nuts and grated parmesan, and dig in while it’s hot and glorious.

🧠 Why It Works

Pan-fried gnocchi = next level. Boiling is fine, but crispy gnocchi is elite.
Pesto perks everything up. Savoury, fresh, and needs no explaining.
Veggie-packed but comforting. The roasted tomatoes get jammy, the zucchini melts into the sauce—it’s veg disguised as comfort food.

🥄 Swaps & Tips

No pine nuts? Toasted almonds or sunflower seeds work too. Or skip ’em. It’ll still taste fab.
Make it vegan: Use dairy-free pesto and skip the parmesan (or sub with nutritional yeast).
Gluten-free? Grab gluten-free gnocchi—it’s more common in supermarkets than you think!
Bulk it up: Toss in some baby spinach, cooked chickpeas, or sliced olives. Go wild.

🧡 Perfect For:

Those “I can’t be bothered but still want something delicious” nights
Meat-free Mondays, Tuesdays, or let’s-face-it-all-week
Comfort food with colour (read: something that isn’t beige)

🙌 Wrap-Up

If your idea of a good time is something cheesy, carby, and green that comes together in under 30 minutes, this gnocchi is your new best friend. It’s easy enough for a Monday but tasty enough for a Friday, and it proves once again that cooking for one doesn’t have to mean toast (unless you want it to).

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