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This simple Lemon Pesto Burrata and Brown Butter Gnocchi makes for the perfect spring dinner. Store-bought gnocchi with golden garlic cooked until crispy, then tossed with basil pesto. Serve this quick-cooking gnocchi with creamy burrata cheese and sautéed asparagus. Every bite is layered with delicious spring flavors. This is a simple and warming recipe for any night of the week.
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It’s officially spring! Now that I’ve had a glimpse of warmer days I’m really starting to lean-into (and be inspired by) spring recipes. I have things like Easter menus on my mind and plenty of fresh herby recipes.
I’m excited, and today feels like the perfect day to really celebrate the start of spring.
I’m not sure about all of you, but to me, spring means lots of fresh asparagus, artichokes, sweet strawberries, and plenty of herbs. All are the perfect fresh produce to accompany light, bright, fresh recipes.
Of course, as with most of my recipes, I still like to add a sliver of specialness and indulgence. I just can’t help it. Which brings me to this gnocchi. It’s fresh, quick, and can basically be made by anyone, but at the same time, it feels very, very special.
I love that this is an all-in-one dinners – just use one skillet.
All thanks to the burrata and buttery sauce!
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Asparagus, ends trimmed
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Salted butter
- Garlic cloves
- Chili flakes
- Lemon zest
- Fresh potato gnocchi
- Basil pesto
- Burrata cheese
- Fresh parmesan
- herbs such as fresh thyme or oregano
The details are quick – start with the asparagus
As mentioned, springtime is the best time for asparagus. And thankfully, it’s one of my family’s favorite green vegetables. All of my brothers, even the pickiest one, enjoy asparagus, as does my mother (who can also be a bit of a challenge to feed).
It’s safe to say that asparagus is a universally loved vegetable around here. Which means I use it often in the spring.
My favorite ways to cook asparagus are to either roast it or quickly stir fry it in a skillet. Since I knew this dish could easily be a one-pot recipe, I started by stir-frying the asparagus with butter, garlic, and lemon zest. I kept it simple because asparagus has a lot of flavor.
The gnocchi
Next, the gnocchi. I used store-bought potato gnocchi, which really works great for this recipe. It’s cooked in butter until the butter turns golden around the gnocchi and the bottom becomes crispy.
It really is delicious with a bit of garlic stirred in.
Fresh basil pesto is added at the end just before being serving.
To serve
You need room-temperature burrata cheese, which I do think is very important. You want the cheese to be at room temp so that when you poor over all the warm gnocchi and yummy butter sauce, the gnocchi really melts into the cheese – creating deliciousness.
I always top with extra parmesan and a drizzle of pesto too. Then serve the asparagus on the side. For extra spices, you could add italian seasonings.
Everything is completed in well under 30 minutes so this is perfect for super busy nights! But at the same time? It really does feel special enough to serve to guests on the weekend too even though it’s a relatively simple recipe.
No one needs to know just how easy this is, all that matters is that it’s delicious. Everyone will be heading back for seconds…so maybe double the recipe!
Pair this recipe with a nice side salad and a side of crusty bread for the hungry ones at your table! There you have it, a perfect easy dinner with a healthy mix of vegetables.
Looking for other quick spring recipes? Here are my favorites:
Sheet Pan Lemon Rosemary Dijon Chicken and Potatoes
Garlic Butter Creamed Spinach Salmon
One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Lemon Pesto Burrata and Brown Butter Gnocchi, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lemon Pesto Burrata and Brown Butter Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 pound fresh potato gnocchi
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 8 ounces burrata cheese, at room temperature
- fresh parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon butter, 1 clove garlic, lemon zest, and chili flakes. Cook until the butter browns, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the skillet. 2. To the same skillet, add the gnocchi and 5 tablespoons butter. Allow the gnocchi to get crispy, about 4-5 minutes, then toss with the butter and add the garlic. Cook another 2 minutes, then stir in the pesto and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Break the burrata into serving bowls. Add the asparagus, then spoon over the gnocchi. Top with parmesan and extra pesto.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
What’s a good sauce alternative to burrata cheese ? I couldn’t find this in store. Also, do I boil the gnocchi first or just take it straight from the bag into the frying pan with butter ? Thanks !
Hey Ayvee,
You can use fresh mozzarella in place of burrata. The recipe calls for fresh gnocchi so no need to boil it first:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx
This dish was so good, I couldn’t stop eating it!! It gets bonus points for being so quick and easy!!
Hi Kristie,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xT
Delicious recipe. However I find that boiling the gnocchi then mixing the cooked gnocchi into the brown butter/pesto sauce has a much better texture than the pan fried gnocchi
Hi Kyle,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xT
I don’t think this worked for me, and I was disappointed. I didn’t watch the video first but the instructions don’t say to boil the Gnocchi, but the video shows to boil the Gnocchi, and I usually just stick to the written recipe. I also found the asparagus undercooked, and I definitely gave it enough time in the pan. Maybe they were too big? Do you have any advice? I’m willing to try this again but maybe the written instructions need more detail and to match the video?
And by the way, I’ve tried a couple other recipes and they were delicious. Any thoughts?
Hi Vishal,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry you didn’t love it. So the recipe calls for fresh gnocchi which is why you don’t have to boil it. In the video I did not use fresh gnocchi so I needed to boil it first, hopefully that makes sense! I am assuming your asparagus must have been a little too big. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
This was ridiculously yummy!! I forgot to grab a lemon so just used a bit of lemon juice I had and it was fine. I don’t think I will ever cook asparagus any other way! Also super quick and easy, love it!
Hey Charli,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for making the recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xxT
Super easy but delicious recipe. A great after work dinner that tastes amazing with minimal effort. I substituted asparagus for broccolini as i personally don’t love asparagus and it was really good.
Hey Morgan,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This was AMAZING!! I made it and 4 of us devoured it. Sadly nothing left for seconds. Next time I’ll know to make more!
Hey Angie,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a hit! Have a great weekend:) xx
I absolutely LOVED this recipe. Very easy yet feels very fancy. I am not traditionally a gnocchi fan but the crispiness really made such a difference for me. Made for guests and we all devoured it. Will absolutely be making again.
Hi Rita,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! ?xx
What cheese could you use instead of burrata
Hey Joni,
Fresh mozzarella will also work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, let me know if you give it a try! xx
My husband and I really enjoyed this! I agree with other reviewers that it was just a bit too much butter so I would cut this down next time. I also misread the instructions and didn’t realize I was supposed to take the asparagus out but still turned out good – just asparagus was very soft.
Hi Hilary,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go and sharing your feedback!! I love to hear that it was a winner:) xTieghan
Was great! I didn’t boil the gnocchi and it still turned out great but I just noticed in your new video you say to boil the gnocchi. I might just add that step
Hi Jacqueline,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go and sharing your feedback!! I love to hear that it was a winner:) xTieghan
So…just to be sure…I am not cooking the gnocchi (boiling it) first? I have the kind in the vacuum seal package…
Hi there,
Correct, as long as it is fresh gnocchi then you can follow the recipe as is:) Please let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xTieghan
This is a great recipe! My only complaint was that I used the same brand of pesto you recommended and it was soooo salty! Almost inedible. I much prefer the pesto from Costco, or fresh made.
Hi Elisa,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! Sorry to hear about your pesto.☀️ xTieghan
Tasty but way too much butter for the amount of gnocchi. Also, step 2 is confusing. It mentions butter twice but i added it with the gnocchi. I would make again with 1/4 cup of pesto and 1 or 2 T of butter
Hi Kelly,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback. Sorry for the confusion, you are just tossing the gnocchi with the 5 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. xTieghan
Super easy and a huge hit!
Hey Kate,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan