You know those weeknights when you want to cook a home cooked meal but just can’t make it? This dinner is for you! It’s ready in minutes thanks to store-bought pesto, gnocchi, goat cheese, and fried chicken strips!
This post was written in collaboration with Perdue.
We’re entering the busy holiday season: can you feel it?
Because sometimes, when the Zoom calls end and the days feel ever shorter, putting a meal together instead of cooking it from scratch is a welcome change.
And who doesn’t love classic Italian flavors and very few dishes? We can toast to that any day of the week.
What kind of gnocchi should I buy?
Fun Fact: Gnocchi are not noodles, but a kind of potato dumpling. It doesn’t have much flavor of its own, but like pasta, it welcomes sauces like tomato sauce and pesto to really let it shine.
While potato gnocchi are the most traditional, you will also encounter cauliflower gnocchi in some grocery stores. Choose which type you like, but if the gnocchi are frozen follow the cooking instructions on each packet as they can vary quite a bit.
Why PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Chicken Strips?
For this dinner, we rely on PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Carved Chicken Breast Strips to put dinner on the table.
The well-cooked chicken strips are juicy and tender and we feel comfortable serving them to our family because Perdue raises their birds without antibiotics and they are fed an all-vegetarian diet.
Bonus? Perdue did all the work for you: the chicken is par-fried and sliced into strips, so you have boneless, skinless chicken that you can add to almost anything.
How do I make an Italian gnocchi pan?
Again, your mantra is: assemble, don’t cook. So grab your ingredients and a pan and let’s get started!
First you heat up the gnocchi you have bought, either from the refrigerated counter in your supermarket or deep-frozen. Instead of using multiple pans and cooking the gnocchi, simply heat them in the pan with some boiling water for a few seconds.
Potato gnocchi are delicate, so don’t overcook them because they’ll cook a little more later with the other ingredients.
Drain and toss with store-bought pesto. Add them to the pan with the chicken, stir in some spinach and halved cherry tomatoes, and finish the pan with tangy goat cheese.
Food is served! leftovers? Unlikely. Enjoy your meal!
Italian gnocchi stir-fry with chicken and pesto
Please note that this recipe calls for non-perishable gnocchi. If you’re using frozen gnocchi, you should only thaw them according to the package directions.
ingredients
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1 lb Shelf stable potatoes or cauliflower gnocchi (or use frozen and thaw according to package directions)
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1/2 teaspoon Salt
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2 teaspoon olive oil
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2 (9-ounce) packets Perdue Short Cuts Original Roasted Carved Chicken Breasts
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6 tablespoon bought in store Pesto
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1 pint cherry tomatoeshalved
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6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
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4 ounces goat cheesedecay
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2 tablespoon chopped Parsely and/or basil for garnish (optional)
method
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Pre-cook gnocchi:
Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Place the gnocchi in a large pan and pour boiling water over them to cover.
Stir in the salt and let the gnocchi soak in the water for 30 seconds.
Place in a bowl with a slotted spoon and toss gently with the olive oil. Allow to cool briefly and toss again carefully with 3 tablespoons of pesto.
Scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking water and discard the remaining water in the pan.
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Heat and assemble the rest of the dish:
Place the pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until chicken is warmed through. Add the spinach and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until wilted.
Fold in the cherry tomatoes and 3 tablespoons of pesto. If the mixture seems dry, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved gnocchi cooking water. Add the gnocchi and stir very gently until the ingredients are hot.
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Serve:
Scatter the goat cheese over the pan and garnish with parsley or basil, if you like.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 678 | calories |
| 26g | Fat |
| 52g | carbohydrates |
| 56g | protein |
