Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Sheet pan pesto shrimp with gnocchi is a colorful one pan dinner. It’s packed with juicy shrimp, summer vegetables, golden gnocchi, with lots of basil pesto to bring it all together. Ready in under an hour, but it feels a little more special than your average weeknight meal!
How long it takes: 40 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large rimmed sheet pan, mixing bowl
Servings: 4
One Pan. One Sauce. The Best Shrimp Dinner.
If you’ve never roasted gnocchi before, this recipe is about to change things for you.
No boiling. No draining. It goes straight onto the sheet pan, and while it roasts, the outsides get golden and a little crispy while the insides stay perfectly pillowy. Once you try it this way, you won’t go back.
Throw in some shrimp and a jar of pesto, and dinner is done in about 25 minutes. And in true Rachel Cooks style, you only have one pan to clean.
What makes it special:
- Everything cooks on one pan: And we know that one pan dinners are the BEST dinners. It’s really the only way I want to cook on a weeknight.
- No need to boil the gnocchi: Once you’ve tried roasted gnocchi, you won’t want it any other way. Plus it saves you from washing an additional pan and a colander.
- Pesto does a lot with very little: A few big spoonfuls of pesto and everything tastes incredibly flavorful. Store-bought or homemade pesto both work great.
- Fast-cooking shrimp: I love that shrimp cooks quickly, which makes it ideal for busy weeknights.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card, but here’s an overview of what you’ll need.
- Large shrimp: Peel, devein, and remove the tails from the shrimp, or buy shrimp that is already prepped. Larger shrimp stay juicy and hold up better during roasting than smaller shrimp.
- Basil pesto: Homemade or store-bought both work well. (I love my recipe for fresh basil pesto.)
- Gnocchi: Shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi are both good options.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes: They burst in the oven, getting jammy and sweeter as the juices concentrate, and turn into a saucy delight.
- Zucchini: Yellow squash and zucchini are pretty much interchangeable, or try one of the hybrid varieties you see at the farm market.
- Shallots: These are milder and sweeter than onions, which allows the pesto to shine. If you want to substitute red onion or another sweet onion, that’s fine.
- Seasonings, olive oil: I use simple pantry seasonings, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. A couple tablespoons of olive oil help distribute the seasonings and enhance the roasted vegetables.
- Parmesan cheese: I use shredded Parmesan, but grated is fine if that’s what you have on hand.
- Fresh basil: If you can get your hands on it, fresh basil adds a vibrant finishing touch. If it’s too pricey or not in season, omit it. There’s plenty of basil flavor from the pesto!
My Favorite Sheet Pans
I use these for everything! I have four of them and they’re in constant rotation from my oven to my sink to my cupboard.
How to Make Sheet Pan Pesto Shrimp
Marinate the shrimp. If your shrimp are frozen, thaw them completely following package instructions. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels before tossing them with half of the pesto. Refrigerate the shrimp to let them marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
Prep the sheet pan. Preheat your oven to 425°F and lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the gnocchi, tomatoes, zucchini, and shallots. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
Roast the vegetables and gnocchi. Spread the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan in an even layer. Roast for about 18 minutes, enough time to lightly brown the gnocchi and get the veggies tender.
Add the shrimp. Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the pesto-coated shrimp among the vegetables and gnocchi. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Finish and serve. Transfer everything to serving plates or shallow bowls. Drizzle with the remaining pesto, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh sliced basil, and serve immediately.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the vegetables. Bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, or green beans all work well.
- Try a different pesto. Sun-dried tomato pesto or arugula pesto would be delicious. My cilantro pesto is a good choice, too, and it’s nut-free.
- Use a different cheese. Although it’s not Italian, crumbled feta would work with the flavors in this recipe, or try Pecorino Romano.
Serving Suggestions
Salad. This is the best arugula salad recipe because it’s simple and goes with anything. You’ll love the lemon vinaigrette. A house salad is a classic choice with an easy balsamic vinaigrette. Top it with homemade croutons (they’re definitely the best part!).
Bread. Texas toast garlic bread is a favorite in my house. If you like to make your own bread, try no knead whole wheat bread. I often just grab a baguette from the grocery store, warm it up, and serve it with restaurant-style bread dipping oil.
White wine or light cocktails. A white wine spritzer would be perfect. If you lean more toward cocktails, I recommend a French 75, vodka lemonade, or a Bay Breeze.
Refrigerate: Store leftover sheet pan pesto shrimp with the gnocchi and vegetables in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheat: Warm everything gently in a skillet or microwave until heated through. Shrimp can become rubbery if overheated and they don’t take as long to warm up as the gnocchi, so I usually remove them as soon as they’re warm and then continue heating up the rest.
More Sheet Pan Recipes
Sheet Pan Pesto Shrimp with Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 16 ounces large shrimp (size 20/30), peeled, deveined, tails removed
- ½ cup basil pesto, divided
- 16 ounces shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi (uncooked)
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 large zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 12 ounces)
- 3 shallots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil
Instructions
- Thaw shrimp if frozen. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss shrimp with ¼ cup pesto, then place in the refrigerator to marinate until ready to cook.16 ounces large shrimp (size 20/30), peeled, deveined, tails removed
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease or spray with nonstick spray a large rimmed baking sheet, about 18 x 13 inches.
- In a large bowl, toss gnocchi, tomatoes, zucchini, and shallot with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread into an even layer onto the prepared sheet pan.16 ounces shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi, 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, 1 large zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces, 3 shallots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Bake for 18 minutes in preheated oven.
- Remove the pan from the oven and add pesto-coated shrimp to the pan, arranging everything in a single layer. Return pan to the oven and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through and tomatoes are bursting.
- Divide among 4 serving plates or shallow bowls. Drizzle with remaining ¼ cup pesto, shredded Parmesan, and fresh basil, and serve immediately.2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil
Notes
- Pro tips: If you buy shrimp that is larger or smaller than the size specified, adjust the second cooking time accordingly. Try to cut the vegetables evenly into ½ -inch pieces, so they get done at the same time. Be sure to preheat your oven for the best results.
- Variations: Feel free to swap vegetables. Try bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, or green beans. Sun-dried tomato pesto, arugula pesto, or cilantro pesto could be substituted for the basil pesto. Try crumbled feta instead of Parmesan if you like.
- Gluten-free: Omit the gnocchi and use additional vegetables instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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