Crispy Gnocchi with Pesto

# Ingredient List:

→ Gnocchi

01 - 1.1 lbs potato gnocchi (fresh or vacuum-packed)

→ Pesto

02 - 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

03 - 1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts for variation)

04 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

06 - 1 garlic clove, peeled

07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Vegetables & Garnish

09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

10 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (for frying)

11 - Additional grated Parmesan, to serve

12 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until smooth. Set aside.

02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add gnocchi in a single layer and pan-fry, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes until golden and crispy on all sides.

03 - Add halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened.

04 - Remove skillet from heat. Add pesto and toss gently to coat gnocchi and tomatoes evenly.

05 - Serve immediately topped with additional grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

It's ready faster than you can set the table, which means weeknight dinner stress just disappeared.
Pan-fried gnocchi develops this crispy, almost golden-brown exterior that boiling never gives you, and it changes everything.
The pesto comes together in one bowl, meaning fewer things to clean up at the end of the night.

02 -

Don't crowd the pan when you're pan-frying the gnocchi; give them room to actually touch the hot surface and crisp up instead of steaming.
Add the pesto off the heat so the basil stays bright and fresh instead of turning dull from the residual warmth of the pan.

03 -