This homemade gnocchi with pea pesto is a dish meant for warmer spring evenings out on the patio with a glass of white wine. Easy handmade potato gnocchi is topped with a fresh pesto made from peas, basil and lemon for a bright and satisfying meal.
This gnocchi has a few steps to make, but I promise, each step is so easy, and elements can be made ahead of time so you can have a fresh, handmade gnocchi dish on the table in minutes on a busy weeknight. Or spend a leisurely Saturday afternoon making this incredible meal!
Much like this homemade noodle pasta, making fresh dough is a passion of mine. This gnocchi recipe is a great base for any number of sauces, not only this spring pea pesto. In colder months, make this sausage and broccoli sauce variation, or serve with a bolognese or brown butter sauce. The options are really limitless!
If you think gnocchi is intimidating to make, look no further, I will give you the step-by-step instructions and show how to shape everything with ease.
And with all Italian dishes, simple and rustic is the key, no frills or fancy tricks are needed. I will demonstrate a smooth and textured variation of the dough.
Ingredients for Potato Gnocchi & Pea Pesto
Luckily, potato gnocchi dough only needs a handful of ingredients so we can let the pea pesto really shine.
Potato Gnocchi Ingredients
- Russet potatoes. Use potatoes that you would for mashed potatoes. Keep them whole and unpeeled.
- All-purpose flour. You could also use 00 Flour, but my grandma used all-purpose and that’s good enough for me.
- Egg. For binding the dough together.
Spring Pea Pesto Ingredients
- Frozen peas. Yes, technically you could use freshly shelled peas, but I have a life and the frozen peas are delicious for this pesto. Save the effort of fresh peas for the main dish.
- Fresh basil leaves. Pro tip: the little planted basil at the store is light years more flavorful than the little packaged version. It’s also much cheaper and if you have the desire, you can keep it alive and growing for ages.
- Garlic.
- Lemon zest and juice.
- Parmesan cheese. I prefer to grate my own, skip the pre-grated cheese.
- Pine nuts. Pine nuts are the traditional nut for pesto. If you cannot find it, you could substitute walnuts or even almonds.
- Olive Oil. Use a flavorful olive oil here, but you don’t have to get too crazy on the extra-virgin costs. We will be heating the pesto lightly, which means a good virgin oil will suffice.
How to Make Potato Gnocchi
Potato gnocchi is a simple dough. At its core, it is just mashed potatoes, flour and a little egg to hold it all together. The less flour and egg used, the lighter and more pillowy the texture will be. You still want it to hold together when you eat them though, so I think this is a good balance ratio!
First things first, boil your potatoes. Leave them whole and with the peel on while boiling. Yes, they will take longer to boil this way!
It’s tempting to peel and dice the potatoes to speed things up, but the potatoes will absorb more water when doing so and make for a gummy texture.
Boil the potatoes away until they give easily when pierced with a fork. Remove from the water and let cool until you can work with the potatoes. You can even toss them in the fridge for tomorrow to save some time!
Making Gnocchi Dough
Now, it’s time to make the actual dough! If you have a potato ricer, this is the time to pull it out of the cabinet! If you don’t (I don’t either!) you will have to work a bit harder to get a smooth potato texture. We don’t want lumps of potato, even if that’s how you eat your mashed potatoes.
To achieve a similar texture to a potato ricer, I first grated the potato on a cheese grater, then I pushed the grated potato through a sieve. It took a little time, but it was worth it for a smooth and pillowy gnocchi!
Next you want to measure out correct amount of riced potato, mix in the flour, egg, salt and pepper. This will come together to form a workable dough.
Shaping the Gnocchi Pieces
Now, is both the most fun and potentially most time consuming part, shaping the gnocchi pieces. Watch the video above for a better visual example of how to work with the dough.
First, divide your dough into a few larger chunks, just big enough to work with on your floured counter, about 8 portions will be easier to work with.
Next, roll each portion into a 1/2” rope. And cut the rope into pieces about the width of your knuckle. And that’s it! Place them on a floured sheet pan, and you could be done!
But, if you want to get a little fancier and up the technique a bit, we can create little ridges on the gnocchi board. The purpose of this is really to help the sauce grip a bit better, but as a bonus, it looks so purdy too!
You can achieve this with a gnocchi board, or with something you already have in your drawer, a fork!
Press each piece of gnocchi straight-down onto the back of the fork, making sure the fork, your hands and gnocchi are lightly floured. Next, gently roll the piece off the fork, creating a c-shape.
Repeat for each piece, so it’s a little time-consuming, but it’s doable and meditative when you are in the mood! And you are now ready to make dinner! Or, toss the sheet pan in the freezer, then place the dough in a freezer-bag once they are firmed up and be ready for dinner another night with no hassle.
Making Pea Pesto
While your potatoes are boiling away, it’s a great time make the pea pesto. Why pea pesto you ask? Because peas are amazing when puréed (mushy peas with fish & chips, anyone?)
They also pair well with both potatoes and basil, you get your serving of veggies in, and they really shine in the springtime. It’s a total win-win!
First, we need to blanch the peas (and basil if you choose). Blanching means we will cook the peas in boiling water then quickly transfer to a bowl of ice water so we can immediately stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color.
If you’ve ever seen a sad little green-grey pea pod in your take-out, you will know what we are trying to avoid!
We will also do this with our basil to really keep the color as vibrant as possible, but it will not need as much time in the boiling water, just a quick dip will do because it doesn’t need to be cooked.
Blending the Peas
A food processor is best for making pesto, but a standing blender or immersion blender will work as well.
Give your peas and basil a quick pat dry then add them to your blender with the rest of the ingredients, except the olive oil. Blend first into a purée. You can stop here, this would be great on a focaccia sandwich with some prosciutto, or on a savory black pepper scone.
But, to make a proper pesto sauce, we need to stream in some olive oil. Enough to make things saucy, but not soggy or sloppy.
Your pesto is now ready to go, but it too can be made a few days ahead and placed in the fridge, or place in a freezer bag and freeze for a later date!
Cooking the Dinner
Now, everything is ready to cook, and it only takes a few minutes to actually cook dinner. If you prepped everything in advance, it takes just a few minutes to whip into a meal!
Gently heat the pesto in a large skillet. We don’t want to boil or scald the pesto, just warming it through while the gnocchi cooks.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, place your fresh pea pods in the water to give them a few extra minutes to cook (they take a little longer than the gnocchi).
Add the gnocchi and let them boil just until they start to float, literally about 1-2 minutes. That’s all it takes! Add strained gnocchi to the warmed pesto skillet. Stir and serve with some extra Parmesan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Many components can be prepped ahead and place in the fridge or freezer.
For the gnocchi: Boil and mash the potatoes up to 2 days ahead of time. Uncooked gnocchi can be frozen and transferred to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Do not defrost before boiling, but it will add an extra few minutes to the time.
For the pesto: The pesto can be made up to 5 days ahead and placed in the fridge, or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge the night before making dinner.
Yes, you can store the gnocchi in the fridge and reheat, but you will lose a lot of the texture upon reheating. I recommend making only what you need that night.
Yes! You can double or even triple the batch and freeze components for a later date. It’s a great way to batch meal-prep.
Totally! Grab a 1 pound package in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
Absolutely! Use about 1 cup of your favorite pesto instead of the pea pesto shown.
Homemade Gnocchi with Pea Pesto
Equipment
- Food processor
- Potato ricer, grater, or sieve
- Spider stainer optional
Ingredients
Potato Gnocchi
- 2 pounds russet baking potatoes approx. 2 large
- 1 large egg beaten
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Pea Pesto
- 10 g pine nuts
- 137 g frozen peas
- 13 g fresh basil leaves packed
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ lemon zest and juice
- 10 g grated parmesan
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
For Serving
- 150 g sugar snap peas edges trimmed, strings removed
- Lemon zest, additional parm as desired
Instructions
- Potato gnocchi. Place whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot of water. Boil for 45-55 minutes until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork. Remove from the water and allow to cool to the touch.2 pounds russet baking potatoes
- Peel the potatoes, then pass through a potato ricer for a fine mash. Alternately, you can grate then pass through a sieve for a similar result.
- Measure 500g (approx. 2 1/4 cup) of potato. Stir in beaten egg then add flour and salt. Knead with hands just until a dough forms.1 large egg, 200 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- To shape gnocchi, divide dough into approximateoh 8 workable portions. Roll each portion into a 1/2” thick rope on a lightly floured counter. Slice into knuckle length pieces (approx. 3/4” pieces). Place on a lightly floured sheet pan.
- If desired to create ribbed texture, press each piece of gnocchi onto the back of a floured fork, then roll into a c-shape.
- Pea pesto. While potatoes are boiling, place pine nuts on a sheet pan and toast in 350℉ (175℃) oven for 10-12 minutes, until fragrant.10 g pine nuts
- Prepare to blanch the peas by boiling a large pot of water. Have a large bowl of ice water and a strainer ready. Boil the peas for 3 minutes, then immediately strain (reserving boiling water if possible) and place in ice water to stop the cooking process. If desired to maintain color, repeat the process with the basil, boiling for 30 seconds, before transferring to ice water.137 g frozen peas, 13 g fresh basil leaves
- Pat peas and basil dry before adding to a food processor along with toasted pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and parmesan. Blitz into a smooth purée. Slowly stream in olive oil until texture is smooth and comes together to a sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.1 garlic clove, 1/2 lemon zest and juice, 10 g grated parmesan, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, salt & pepper to taste
- To make dish. Place pesto in a large sauté pan over low heat. While heating a large pot of water seasoned with salt (salty as the sea). Boil snap peas for 3 minutes, then add gnocchi. Boil until gnocchi begins to float. Strain gnocchi and peas into pesto sauce. Stir together and let cook for 30-60 seconds, until gnocchi is done to your liking. If sauce is slightly thick, add a splash of pasta water to loosen. Serve with additional Parmesan and lemon zest on top if desired.150 g sugar snap peas, Lemon zest, additional parm as desired
Notes
- Recipe as noted makes about 1 1/2 pounds of gnocchi and 1 cup of pesto.
- Gnocchi is best served on the day of. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Make-ahead options:
- Gnocchi:
- Potatoes can be boiled, mashed and stored in the fridge up to 2 days in advance.
- Shaped gnocchi dough pieces can be frozen on sheet pan before transferring to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Do not defrost before continuing with Step 9.
- Pea Pesto:
- Pesto can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Pesto may also be stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before using.
- Gnocchi:
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.
