This simple 30-Minute Chicken Gnocchi Skillet Meal uses tomatoes and basil for the bold flavors you’d get with a restaurant-style dinner. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or date night, this one-pan meal is soon to become a favorite!
A restaurant-style weeknight dinner in 30 minutes!
Truthfully, I’m not much of a cook. By the end of the day, I rarely have the energy for cooking and end up throwing something together with a mix of frozen and fresh ingredients that I often consider “semi-homemade”. Because of my own laziness, I tend to gravitate toward quick, one-pan meals that also yield leftovers to get me through the week. This 30-minute tomato basil chicken and gnocchi skillet dish is one of my absolute favorites. I serve it alongside warmed bread and a glass of wine. Mixed with shredded rotisserie chicken and fresh spinach, this gnocchi dinner is tasty yet filled with your important food groups.
I’m a pasta lover! I would eat pasta for every single meal if I could, so I try to sneak in vegetables to make my beloved pasta slightly healthier. This is basically how I convince myself to feel less guilty about eating it so much. In this case – and many others – I add spinach for a punch of nutrients that don’t distract from the delicious cheesiness of the dish. Plus, gnocchi is a great alternative to pasta that is equally delicious and filling. In many recipes that you would use pasta or rice, you may be able to substitute gnocchi instead.
Take shortcuts to make dinner easier!
A lot of the flavor comes from the tomato basil pesto, which I use from a jar. Yes, there, I said it! A scoop of tomato pesto adds that delicious basil flavor as well as a little bit of tomato. Alongside the cream, garlic, and parmesan, the tomato flavor is very understated rather than making this dish taste like a version of spaghetti.
This simple one-pan meal takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, but sometimes I cook the chicken in the pan and then set aside before starting the gnocchi, which takes a little extra time. Although using pre-shredded chicken is more convenient, I do love this method because it adds even more flavor to the recipe.
Now I just want to make a ton more gnocchi recipes!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 oz gnocchi
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp tomato basil pesto
- About 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan (plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté the garlic for one minute until fragrant.
- Add the uncooked gnocchi, breaking it up with a large spoon, then add the broth and heavy cream.
- Cook gnocchi for about 5 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in tomato basil pesto, followed by cheese and shredded chicken.
- Lastly, stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle with additional parmesan and serve with warm bread.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: If you don't have pre-shredded chicken, cook chicken breasts in the same pan before beginning the gnocchi.
We hope you enjoy this 30-Minute Chicken Gnocchi Skillet Meal from SoFabFood Home Chef, Holly from Club Crafted, as much as we do. If you love this easy recipe, you can find more like it by visiting our 30-Minute Meals Section. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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