Cheesy Gnocchi With Corn and Pesto

By Carolina Gelen

Updated April 14, 2026

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
25 min
Rating
5(2,977)
Comments
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Tasty and effortless, store-bought gnocchi offers a much-needed shortcut for busy weeknight dinners. You can bypass boiling a pot of water for the gnocchi, and instead simply give them a quick sear over high heat, which creates perfectly crispy edges. Toss the crispy gnocchi with lots of sweet, fresh corn kernels, prepared pesto and a hefty sprinkle of grated cheese, and broil until the cheese gets bubbly, gooey and slightly charred in spots. The molten cheese brings all the ingredients together, but a high ratio of corn to dumpling and the bright basil in the pesto keep this dish light enough for summer.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

  • 1 pound shelf-stable gnocchi 

  • About 3 cups canned or fresh corn kernels (from two 15-ounce cans or about 4 fresh cobs)

  • ½ cup store-bought or homemade pesto, plus more for topping 

  • Salt and pepper 

  • 8 ounces grated whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

67 grams carbs; 69 milligrams cholesterol; 662 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 36 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 839 milligrams sodium; 23 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until sizzling hot, about 2 minutes. Add the gnocchi and sear, undisturbed, for 4 minutes, until crispy underneath. 

  2. Step 2

    Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the pesto. Season with salt as needed, and add a few cracks of black pepper. 

  4. Step 4

    Place an oven rack underneath the broiler. Set the broiler to high. 

  5. Step 5

    Top the gnocchi and corn with the cheese. Place the skillet underneath the broiler and broil for about 4 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and slightly charred on top. 

  6. Step 6

    Top with more pesto and divide among bowls. 

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,977 user ratings
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Comments

Dan

In Step 1, heat the oil in a skillet or sauté pan with a lid. Toss in the gnocchi, add 1/4 cup water, cover, and steam for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to sear until crisp as directed, and proceed to Step 2.

Michael L

Nice. Easily in the NYT Cooking top-5 when it comes to the flavor/effort cost ratio. This sucker costs about $15 for 4 servings, and it had my kids asking me to put in the rotation. That's a win.

JBo The Warlock

This recipe was really easy. It took less than 25 minutes so I spent the remaining planned time for "working on dinner" to do the Monday NYT crossword.

Christa

This time, now that it's summer, I made this dish with fresh corn and only 6 oz of goat-cheese mozzarella from a local creamery with much better results. The pesto, of course, is all important, and unfortunately, mine was too salty, but I look forward to trying this dish yet again this summer as it was easy to make, and I do love fresh Illinois corn in the summer. The goat-cheese mozzarella added an interesting tang.

Josh

Followed the recipe as directed and this turned out great! I had a nonstick that could go in oven. Transferred to pie dish and broiled. Perfection!

Melissa S.

This was outstanding and so decadent. Followed the recipe as written.

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