Cheesy Gnocchi With Corn and Pesto
Updated April 14, 2026
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
- Ready In
- 25 min
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
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
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
- 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.
- Step 2
Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat.
- Step 3
Stir in the pesto. Season with salt as needed, and add a few cracks of black pepper.
- Step 4
Place an oven rack underneath the broiler. Set the broiler to high.
- 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.
- Step 6
Top with more pesto and divide among bowls.
Private Notes
Comments
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.
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.
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.
I was hesitant to make this after reading the comments. My only tweaks were I added lots of crushed red pepper when I added the corn. I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of 3 and I added Italian season on top of cheese right before cast iron went into the oven. Overall I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. It was very quick to make and something different. I think it tasted yummy. Broiling the cheese made it taste like a pizza.
First time cooker, long time eater... This might be a dumb question, but the picture shows something green and leafy that I don't see in the ingredients or mentioned in the recipe. What is that?
That's the pesto!
Easy and tasty. I added some zucchini because it reminded me of traditional Hispanic side dish my husband’s grandma would make with corn, zucchini, and onion covered in jack or mozzarella. Delish.