Easy Gnocchi Recipe with 3 Herb Pesto

By Aileen Cox Blundell

Ciao Bella, this simple Gnocchi recipe is a pure Italian delight for your toddler making it perfect for baby led weaning. Looking for ideas for finger foods, the texture of the gnocchi is smooth and easy for them to pick up and enjoy by themselves. For your older children get them involved in making the Gnoochi and creating their own patterns with their forks, or ridger if you have one. Buon Appetito!!

What is Gnocchi?

Pronounced (Neo-kee). Gnocchi is a type of Italian pasta made using potato, flour and egg to form a dough. It is then rolled into long strips and cut into the cute little bites you see below. The gnocchi is then marked with a form and these ridges help the delicious Gnocchi sauce stick to them.

Is Gnocchi Pasta?

Yes, gnocchi is a type of pasta although it has a potato texture to it which is so completely delicious! You can also make sweet potato gnocchi or I have also made beetroot gnocchi which is INSANELY good!

Freeze your Gnocchi

Gnocchi that are home-made are really best eaten on the same day that they are made. However, they can be cut into bite-sized dumplings, spread evenly on a baking sheet, frozen, then packaged in an air-tight bag and back into the freezer ready for future baby led weaning meals. This can allow the gnocchi to last up to 12 months in the freezer.

How to Make Gnocchi

Once you have made your dough for the Gnocchi this is where the fun bit starts. Roll your divided quarters into long snakes, and cut them up into roughly 1.5 cm pieces. You can then use your fork to make indents, your fingers to press and roll or just leave them as they are. Feeding your littles has never been so much fun!

• Divide the dough into quarters
• Roll each quarter into a long, snake liked shape.
• Cut into roughly 1.5cm pieces.
• Use a fork to indent each piece with little ridges.
• Repeat until all of the gnocchi is made.

Recipe for gnocchi sauce

Adding herbs and spices to your baby food is a great way to develop your baby’s taste buds but also helps you pack in some extra nutrients to the meal. They’re perfectly safe and introducing a variety from an earlier stage is the key to raising a more adventurous and healthy eater.

Basil – has a lovely sweet and fragrant aroma, so a great herb for kids of any age to start to enjoy. This will pack a lot of flavour to a variety of dishes, but it is one of the primary ingredients in pesto.

Parsley – a power herb Parsley contains several important nutrients for your baby, such as vitamins A, K, and C. It’s also a good source of the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.

Thyme – brings a lot of nutrients such as vitamins C and A, it is packed full of goodness and health benefits for your baby. This tasty herb will enhance any of your baby led feeding recipes while working wonders for your immune system.

Dip into Pesto

We know how much your baby’s enjoy exploring food with their hands, so why not keep a bit of your Pesto to one side or make a little bit extra ready for a tasty dip, great if your looking for ideas for finger food! We also find that adding the pesto to purees really add a lot of flavour.

Looking for other baby led weaning pasta recipes? Try these recipes next!

• Fussy Toddler Italian Pasta Salad
• Baby Friendly Minestrone Soup
• Make ahead Veggie loaded spaghetti Bolognese

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @babyledfeeding on Instagram. All the love, Aileen 🥰

Easy Gnocchi Recipe with 3 Herb Pesto

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Prep: 20 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 adults + children

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Your baby and toddler will LOVE this recipe for gnocchi sauce and fluffy light gnocchi pillows. The perfect finger food dinner recipe for baby led weaning.

Ingredients

• 350 g 1 cups mashed potato
• 1 egg
• 140 g 1 cup flour (plus extra for rolling)
• Olive oil for frying
• 10 g basil leaves
• 10 g parsley leaves
• 6 sprigs thyme leaves
• 70 g 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 60 ml 1/4 cup olive oil
• 20 g parmesan
• 200 g 1.5 cups frozen peas
• 125 g asparagus spears
• Zest and juice 1 lemon
• Extra parmesan to serve omit for babies
• Black pepper

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Method

• In a large bowl, mash the potato using a fork, making sure not to over mash
• The potato should be light and fluffy to get the best gnocchi
• Whisk the egg in a separate bowl, then pour into the bowl with the potato along with the flour
• Stir a few times until the egg is roughly mixed with the potato, then empty onto a floured surface
• Using your hands, gently knead the dough until it is fully combined
• Make sure not to over knead
• Divide the dough into quarter, then roll each quarter into a long, snake liked shape
• Cut into roughly 1
• 5cm pieces
• Use a fork to indent each piece with little ridges
• Repeat until all of the gnocchi is made
• Heat a large pot with water and bring to the boil
• Drop the gnocchi into the water about 15-20 at a time
• When they float to the top they are cooked (roughly 2-3 mins)
• Scoop out with a slotted spoon and repeat
• I like my gnocchi crispy on the outside, so I heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the gnocchi until both sides are golden brown
• However, you can leave as they are without frying
• To make the pesto, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and silky
• When you are ready to serve, heat a light drizzle of olive oil in a pan, then add the peas and asparagus and cook until the asparagus is al-dente
• Pour in the pesto, add the gnocchi and toss well
• Serve with a sprinkle of extra parmesan and a sprinkle of black pepper

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Recipe Notes & Tips

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