Creamy Pesto Shrimp Gnocchi

This pesto shrimp gnocchi recipe is made in one pan in about 30 minutes and turns store-bought gnocchi into a quick gourmet meal!

Ah, my favorite kind of recipe... the kind that takes less than 30 minutes but is good enough to serve company. You don't need to spend hours in the kitchen to put delicious food on the table! 

The sauce is so good. It's got pesto, cream, extra garlic, lemon juice + zest, and parmesan cheese. The gnocchi cooks right in the sauce to thicken it up to a perfect consistency. (If you want to skip the shrimp, try my Creamy Pesto Gnocchi).

If you love pesto, try my Salmon Pesto Pasta.

What kind of gnocchi to use?

For all my one-pan gnocchi recipes (I've been making them since 2017 where it all started with my Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Gnocchi), I use the shelf stable gnocchi that's found in the dry pasta aisle of most grocery stores. The refrigerated kind will work too. I don't recommend homemade gnocchi as it's quite delicate and can fall apart in the sauce; some readers have let me know they tried it with other recipes and had that issue.

Recipe notes & tips:

• The shrimp don't take long to cook at all, so be careful not to overcook them, or they will go rubbery.
• I suggest making this recipe with 31/40 size shrimp. I've successfully made this with slightly larger shrimp as well.
• I used DeLallo pesto for this recipe (I love it, and I've worked with them and had some leftover from a shipment they sent. This post is not sponsored, though). Feel free to use whatever your favorite kind of pesto is or even homemade pesto.
• I find that some jarred pesto sauces can already be quite lemony, so if that's the case with yours, you may want to omit the teaspoon of lemon juice unless you want it to be very lemony (which is fine). I do recommend keeping the lemon zest, though!
• Feel free to sub the chicken broth for dry white wine.
• I use my handy Microplane to zest the lemon. It adds so much freshness to this recipe.

What to serve with this dish:

It's quite rich, so a light salad would go great. If you really want to go all-out, try garlic knots or breadsticks.

Other amazing one pan gnocchi recipes:

• One Pan Creamy Gnocchi with Sausage
• Chicken Bacon Gnocchi
• Ground Beef Gnocchi

Will you give this pesto shrimp gnocchi recipe a try? 

Questions? Let me know in the comments below!

5 from 3 votes

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Pesto Shrimp Gnocchi

This pesto shrimp gnocchi recipe is made in one pan in about 30 minutes and turns store-bought gnocchi into a quick gourmet meal!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword pesto shrimp gnocchi

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 619 kcal

Author Natasha Bull

Ingredients

• 1 pound raw shrimp (thawed & peeled) see note
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley chopped, to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. If your shrimp are frozen, run them under cool water until they're fully thawed. Peel them and take the tails off.

2. Add the pesto, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, chicken broth, and cream to a deep skillet over medium heat. Give it a stir until everything is combined.

3. Once the sauce starts to gently bubble, stir in the gnocchi. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. The gnocchi cooks right in the sauce and the starch released thickens it up.

4. Give the gnocchi a stir and then stir in the shrimp. Cook for another minute (covered) and then give it a stir and cook for another minute (covered). Let it cook uncovered for another minute or two, stirring often, until the shrimp are fully cooked through.

5. Just before serving, stir in the parmesan cheese and season with extra salt & pepper as needed. I sprinkled some chopped parsley over top for some added freshness.

Recipe Notes

• I used 31-40/pound size shrimp. Anything from 3/4 pound to 1 pound of shrimp will work. Many stores here (Canada) package the shrimp in 3/4 pound bags.
• If the sauce becomes too thick at any point, add in a splash more cream or chicken broth to thin it out.
• The gnocchi cooks right in the sauce. There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi.
• Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition Facts

Pesto Shrimp Gnocchi

Amount Per Serving

Calories 619 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Cholesterol 380mg127%

Sodium 1678mg73%

Potassium 163mg5%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 35g70%

Vitamin A 1295IU26%

Vitamin C 7mg8%

Calcium 392mg39%

Iron 7mg39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.