This easy Sheet Pan Chicken and Gnocchi Pesto is a weeknight favorite in our house. All you have to do is chop up some chicken, throw it on a sheet pan with some vegetables and gnocchi, and bake it for 20 minutes!
How do you make Sheet Pan Chicken and Gnocchi Pesto?
- Start by preheating your oven to 375
- Chop up some chicken breasts and throw them on a sheet pan
- Add some cherry tomatoes, whole cloves of garlic, and any other vegetable you would like to the pan
- Drizzle some olive oil, salt and pepper, and pine nuts onto the pan and toss everything around
- Bake for 20 minutes
- Once its out of the oven toss everything with Homemade Pesto in a Blender (or some store bought pesto!)
- Top it with some fresh lemon juice (so it doesn't brown!) and grated Parmesan
Yum! I love adding the cherry tomatoes because when they burst they act as an additional sauce. I also love adding the whole garlic cloves because the garlic favor mellows out when you roast it. You can get creative with this recipe and add additional ingredients.
What are some additional ingredients or substitutions?
- Add zucchini or squash to use up your summer vegetables
- Swap out basil pesto for other types of pesto (like sun dried tomato or roasted bell pepper!)
- For a vegetarian version, leave off the chicken and add a variety of mushrooms
- Swap out the chicken for shrimp
If you like this recipe you can rate it and leave a comment below. If you take a picture tag me on Instagram @hungrywaitress! Here?s the recipe:
Print
Sheet Pan Chicken and Gnocchi Pesto
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This easy Sheet Pan Chicken and Gnocchi Pesto is a weeknight favorite in our house. All you have to do is chop up some chicken, throw it on a sheet pan with some vegetables and gnocchi, and bake it for 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, chopped into 1" pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 4-5 whole garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 lb gnocchi
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons pine nuts, optional
- 3 Tablespoons pesto, homemade or store bought
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (1-2 slices squeezed)
- grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 375
- Throw the chicken, tomatoes, garlic, gnocchi, on a sheet pan
- Drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper, and pine nuts onto the pan and toss everything around
- Bake for 20 minutes
- After baking, toss everything with Homemade Pesto in a Blender (or some store bought pesto!)
- Top it with some fresh lemon juice (so it doesn't brown!) and serve with grated Parmesan
Notes
*Make sure your chicken's internal temperature is at least 165 degrees before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Lindsay
I have a question. Do you boil the gnocchi before you put it on the pan?
Leanna Myers
Nope! The gnocchi will roast in the oven with everything else.
Bri
Do you cook the chicken before throwing it on the pan? Silly question sorry
Leanna Myers
Not silly! I need to clarify it better in the post. No, you don't need to cook the chicken first, but be sure the raw pieces are small enough (about 1" pieces) so they cook all the way through.
Liz
Can you use frozen gnocchi or fresh only?
Leanna Myers
Hi! I haven't tested this recipe with frozen gnocchi so I'm not 100% sure, but I think it should work just fine. You may just need to cook it a little longer.
Anonymous
Thank you!
Jennifer
Do you think it would be just as good with red pesto rather than the typical green (basil) pesto?
Leanna Myers
Yeah! I think it'd be great with any kind of pesto.