Pesto Gnocchi with Green Beans & Tomatoes

For Friday night's dinner Steve and I decided to try a new dish alongside a favorite of ours - RIBS! Steve makes a mean rack of ribs - so he takes care of creating his secret sauce, slow cooking them and then grilling them on the BBQ. To balance all of the meat we were about to consume we choose to try to different take on the average salad - pesto gnocchi with green beans and tomatoes.

This is a super simple recipe - only a few ingredients and only a few steps (the perfect combination for a weeknight meal). Here are the ingredients that you will need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cans green beans (you can also use fresh green beans - I just prefer the canned ones)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• salt
• 1 package (16 oz) potato gnocchi
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 1 cup bite size cubes of fresh mozzarella
• Freshly grated parmesan

And here is how you will bring it all together:

1. Set a large pot of water over high heat. Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and green beans to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, then toss in the tomatoes and continuing to cook until the green beans are tender (but still crisp) and the tomatoes are browned on the outside. Remove from the heat.
2. Salt the water after it reaches a boil. Drop the gnocchi in and cook until they float to the surface (4 to 5 minutes). Drain and add the gnocchi to the pan with the green beans and tomatoes. Stir in the pesto and mozzarella. 
3. Sprinkle grated parmesan over each serving.

This recipe was very easy and depending on how much you like pesto - you can either add more or less to match your desired taste. Give this one a try when you are looking to try something different from the average salad or side for a rack of ribs.

Bon appetit & enjoy!

This recipe is from:
Cook This, Not That! - Kitchen Survival Guide
The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution
David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding
Rodale Inc. 2010
Page 210