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This pesto shrimp gnocchi recipe is made in one pan in about 30 minutes and turns store-bought gnocchi into a quick gourmet meal!
Try my Chicken Pesto Pasta or Creamy Pesto Dressing for more of these tasty flavors.
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:
Will you give this pesto shrimp gnocchi recipe a try?
Questions? Let me know in the comments below!
Pesto Shrimp Gnocchi
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
- If your shrimp are frozen, run them under cool water until they're fully thawed. Peel them and take the tails off.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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We had some leftover cooked shrimp and I didn’t really want to spend a lot of time cooking and I only needed to warm the shrimp. I found this recipe. I basically followed the recipe as written but I use more lemon because My lemon was huge and even the half was a lot of juice. I think it actually made the dish. My husband loved it! Thanks.
I’m glad it was a hit, Barb!
Hello! Love this recipe. Just wondering if we were to add scallops, would they need to be cooked prior?
Hi! You may want to sear them first and add them at the end, yes.
My GO TO recipe for friends and family. It’s consistent and so so flavorful!! It also allows me more time to visit with my company since it is so quick and easy! I wish I could give 20 stars!
Aww I love that!! 😀 Thank you, Emily!!
SUPER FANTASTIC and QUICK! I used half 2% milk and half heavy cream. It doesn’t need the salt that’s in the recipe—basil and parmesan are salty enough. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for attitude!
Glad you liked it!!
Awesome goodness and in no time at all!
Aww thank you!
Super easy and yummy dinner! Next time I will add some frozen veggies towards the end of cooking time to make it a one pot meal.
I’m so glad you liked it!! That’s a good idea re: the frozen veggies.
This was amazing and so easy too!
Thank you, Gayle!
Yum! I switched our heavy cream for organic whole milk and had to double the recipe because of my Costco size gnocchi but it stilled turned out good. Unfortunately my 3 year old didn’t like it 😅 but I did!
Haha maybe your little one will enjoy it in time. 🙂 So happy you liked it, Courtney!
This was my first time using a recipe from your website. It was so easy to follow and it turned out delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that, Adria!! 😀 Thanks for your review, and let me know if you try anything else.
Lovely sauce! Lighter than most cream sauces. Perfect measurements for 4 and enough sauce to go around! I will make this again!
Thank you!! I’m so glad you liked it!