Just looking at this cauliflower gnocchi with pesto and Brussels makes me want to reach into the screen and grab one of those pillow-y little blobs of saucy-covered deliciousness. And it can be yours in just 20 (mainly hands-off!) minutes! Just make sure you make enough to share. Or maybe don’t. No judgment.
I just love Trader Joe’s. Every time I go I find new random products and prepped veggies and frozen foods to make meals easier, like this magic. The nearest one is 20 minutes away (are you listening TJ?! Forty minutes round trip for groceries is something I don’t do often so can you maybe open one closer pretty please?!) Their cauliflower gnocchi isn’t new to me, because we’ve had it before BUT in the past I totally messed it up and did something really dumb called “following the package instructions”. This is something you just can’t do with TJ cauliflower gnocchi. You’ll end up with gooey lumps of sadness and an uncomfortable sense of confusion as to why everyone is raving about them on social media.
No, there are several other ways to cook them – just as easily – and have them turn out with the perfect amount of lightly browned outside and soft pillow-y inside. For this meal, we’re going to bake them straight from the freezer (literally open the bag and dump them out, k?), along with a second tray full of Brussels cooking at the same time. While they cook, you can boil some frozen peas to add in, and then do whatever the heck you want, because you’re pretty much done. I love this meal because it’s super quick, requires little clean up, tastes amazing, and packs in veggies with literally every ingredient.
Also did I mention it costs less than $3 per bag for the gnocchi?! Tip: I would buy 1 bag for every 2 people eating. And if you have a big appetite, you could probably even eat a whole bag so keep that in mind when you’re planning how much to buy. For our family of 5, I would cook 3 bags. May have leftovers, maybe not, depending on how hungry everyone is.
ALSO: while you’re at Trader Joe’s, buy a bag of these pre-shredded Brussels to make your life easier. You can also buy regular ones and slice thinly or shred in the food processor, but to make this all happen super fast, here’s your best option:
Here’s the gnocchi and Brussels pre-bake/roasting (I use a silpat under the gnocchi but not necessary):
And here’s the before and after of the gnocchi (see the slightly browned perfection?!):
Then you just mix the gnocchi and Brussels with the pesto and peas and DONE. These pics are a little messy and not my finest food styling because mainly I just wanted to get them done so I could eat it. I am hungry right now just remembering how good it tasted. Sigh.
Some things to note and then I’ll let you get busy:
- I’m trying less dairy these days so I used this Trader Joe’s vegan pesto made with kale and basil, and I loved it. I am a pesto freak so it’s big deal for me to try one that’s left of center but really it isn’t. You can buy any pesto you want, or make your own. Try my recipe here, and feel free to use all basil, or sub some kale for the mint.
- If you or your people don’t like pesto, just drizzle it all with some olive oil or melted butter (which is how my daughter loves it). For the melted butter, we usually have Kerrygold on hand and I swear the pasture-raised flavor makes a difference.
- Feel free to get all crazy and roast some other veggies in there with the gnocchi and Brussels! I think red peppers and tomatoes would both be amazing with it. The Brussels will be done in 10 minutes or less, so you would need to roast the other veggies a little longer.
Let me know if you try them! Or tag me #feed_me_greens.
This easy dinner is packed with veggies, comes together in 20 minutes, and tastes amazing! See the recipe notes for suggestions on portions when buying ingredients.
- 2 bags Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi (see recipe notes)
- 1 bag Trader Joe's shaved Brussels sprouts (or thinly slice 1 large bag store bought Brussels)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
- 2 cups frozen peas (more or less depending on how much you like peas)
- 1 container of Trader Joe's kale, cashew, and basil pesto (or sub your favorite store bought or homemade version)
- Optional parmesan cheese for topping
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Preheat the oven to 425. Put the frozen cauliflower gnocchi on a baking sheet and spread into one single layer. Some of them may be frozen together, which is fine. Spread the shaved Brussels sprouts on another baking sheet, then drizzle with the olive oil and toss to spread it. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
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Bake the gnocchi and Brussels. After 8 - 10 minutes, the Brussels should be done, so go ahead and remove them and flip/stir the gnocchi. Continue baking the gnocchi for another 10 minutes, for a total of 20 minutes.
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While the gnocchi and Brussels are baking, boil some water and cook the frozen peas per package instructions.
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When the gnocchi are done, add them to a large serving bowl along with the roasted Brussels and cooked peas. Gently mix in the pesto. I haven't listed an amount for the pesto because some people like a little and some like a lot, so eyeball it and add whatever amount looks good to you! Optional: sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Important Note! It's deceptively easy to eat a full bag of Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi. I recommend 1 bag per every 2 people, but it's very possible an adult could eat a full bag. So feel free to double this depending on how many people you have eating.
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