Cheesy, savory, and full of fresh basil, this baked pasta dish is a deliciously easy meal that the WHOLE family will love! Pesto Gnocchi with Tuna will be your new favorite weeknight meal. Less than 6 ingredients, full of lean protein, and whole-grains!
This post is sponsored by Blue Harbor Fish Co.
If there is one thing to know about my dad, it’s that he LOVES pesto. In fact, if he could have one meal for the rest of his life it would be pesto pasta. Hands down. No contest.
My mom and dad have been making homemade pesto since I was a little kid and it’s been a favorite of mine all my life as well.
Side bar…Funny story, the first time my mom gave me pesto with pine nuts, I got a bright red rash around my lips. The doctor said I was allergic to pine nuts, as well as broccoli, salmon, and a whole host of other foods. But my mom didn’t quite believe that. She kept introducing me to the foods in small quantities over the months and eventually I never had any allergy symptoms ever again. That’s why I am a bit skeptical sometimes when it comes to certain “food allergies” that people claim.
My parents would use homegrown basil from our little herb garden, high quality olive oil, freshly grated parmesan, and toasted pine nuts to create the most rich, delicious sauce ever! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Such a simple combination of ingredients, yet SO flavorful!
I especially loved this dish when they would add roasted red peppers as well and some sort of protein. Chicken, shrimp, scallops…we’ve had them all! But my favorite will always be flaked tuna in the mix.
Unfortunately, since living on my own for a few years now, I don’t have pesto as often as I’d like. But when I found some of my favorite Blue Harbor Fish Co Albacore Tuna hiding in the pantry, I was inspired to whip up my favorite childhood dish. With a fun twist, of course!
My Baked Pesto Gnocchi is super easy to make, bursting with flavor, and full of lean protein from the Blue Harbor tuna. Just like the tuna, which has super simple, clean ingredients, this pasta dish only has 6 ingredients and is a perfectly balanced meal in terms of complex carbs, fats, and protein. You even have some veggies in there as well with the fresh baby spinach and basil!
PrintBaked Pesto Gnocchi with Tuna
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
Ingredients
- 2 cups of baby spinach
- 2 lbs whole wheat or gluten-free gnocchi
- 9 oz of Blue Harbor Fish Co Albacore Tuna (3 3oz packets)
- 3/4 cup refrigerated pesto (or HOMEMADE pesto)
- ¾ cup whole wheat or gluten-free bread crumbs
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees . Add the gnocchi and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they float to the top of the pot. Add spinach in at the last minute of cooking to wilt. Drain and transfer to the baking dish. Add the tuna and pesto and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a medium bowl, toss the breadcrumbs and cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the gnocchi and bake until heated through and golden, about 15 minutes.
- Serve warm with extra pesto or olive oil drizzled on top if desired.
This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free gnocchi and gluten-free breadcrumbs! For a vegan version, use vegan pesto, vegan cheese, and swap in meatless crumbles for the tuna. Anyone and everyone can enjoy this delicious dish no matter what diet you follow.
My mom and dad went crazy for this recipe, and my dad has already request that I make it again for Father’s Day. Ay ay, captain! You can pick up Blue Harbor at your local Shoprite, KTM supermarkets, or Fresh Grocer.
Do you like pesto?
What’s your favorite kind of pasta?
Have you ever had seafood in pasta before?
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It looks yummy! Now it’s my watering turn xD
Is the tuna in Blue Harbor Fish Co Albacore Tuna kinda dry? Never seen it before.
I don’t find the tuna dry at all! Tastes very fresh to me!! 🙂
Yum! This looks delicious. We love gnocchi but I’ve never baked it before. I don’t know if we can find that tuna here in Costa Rica but there are plenty of local options. This would be a great option for using leftover homemade pesto.
Thanks Justin! Yes, you could totally use fresh cooked tuna if that’s all you have available. It will be just as delicious!! 🙂
This looks yummy! That’s awesome your mom did that, that’s what they are starting to do for young kids now to help with food allergies. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday. Hope to see you at the party next week
Thanks for reading Jenny! Yes, my mom is a nurse and I think she was a little ahead of the times in terms of alleviating food allergies.
Your Baked Pesto Gnocchi with Tuna looks delicious! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
★★★★★
Thanks Helen!! Hope you try it!!
This sounds divine, I clicked because I adore pesto. However, I can’t eat potato so I need to find gnocchi I can eat that doesn’t have potato in it..if that is even a thing…I do miss gnocchi
I think you should definitely be able to find gnocchi that is not made with potatoes!! LMK if you try this.