A quick and easy meatless main dish, this creamy pear and walnut gnocchi with greens is a delicious and different way to enjoy gnocchi. Ready in just 30 minutes, too!
If you’re looking for something a little different, this gnocchi with pears, walnuts and greens is just that. Pears don’t often show up in savoury dishes, but they pair fabulously with potatoes (no pun intended).
I first discovered this pairing in this sausage and mashed potatoes recipe. It was lovely and I knew it would be perfect with gnocchi, too!
How to make pear and walnut gnocchi
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Gnocchi – Be sure to use potato gnocchi. Either shelf-stable, refrigerated or frozen gnocchi will work. Boil the gnocchi according to the package directions.
Pear – Any pear will work here. I’ve used a Bartlett pear. Anjou, Bosc or red pears would also be fine.
Walnuts – The slight bitterness of walnuts is perfect with the bit of sweet pear, but pecans or hazelnuts could also be used here.
Greens – I’ve used chard here, but you could also use baby kale or baby spinach.
How to make pear and walnut gnocchi
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the recipe card below when making the recipe.
- Start by boiling some water for the gnocchi. When boiling, salt generously and add the gnocchi. Cook according to the package directions.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet and add the walnuts and onion, cooking until the onions soften.
- Add the pears to the skillet and cook together with the onion and walnuts, then deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine. Allow the wine to cook off for 1-2 minutes.
- When the gnocchi is cooked, spoon into the skillet.
- Add the cream to the skillet and season well with salt and pepper.
- Finally, add the chopped chard (or baby kale or spinach) and cook it all together until the greens are wilted.
Recipe tips!
This dish is great as written, but would also be lovely with an added salty note from a bit of pancetta or bacon. Simply chop the pancetta or bacon and brown it up in the skillet before adding the onion. (If using bacon, spoon off any excess fat in the pan before proceeding.)
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Get the Recipe: Pear and Walnut Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 14 oz (400 g) gnocchi, cooked according to package directions *see Note 1 below
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Bartlett pear, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3-4 Tablespoons white wine, or chicken broth
- 1/4-1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups Swiss chard, top leaves only or baby kale or spinach, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For serving:
- Shaved parmesan cheese
- 2-3 Tablespoons walnuts, finely chopped
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season generously with salt and cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and onion and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is softened.
- Tip! To prepare the pear, peel the pear, then cut it into quarters. Use a sharp knife to remove the spine (between the stem end and the core) and cut away the core/seed part. Thinly slice the pear quarters. I only used 3/4 of the pear, as my pear was a good size. If using a smaller pear, you might use the entire pear. If you're a little nervous about the pear, you can just use 1/2 of the pear :)
- Add about 3/4 to all of the pear slices to the skillet and cook together with the walnuts and onion until the pear has softened. Add the wine to the pan and allow it to simmer for 1-2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
- When the gnocchi is cooked, spoon it into the skillet with a slotted spoon. Add the cream to the skillet and season generously with salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce, then stir in the chard (or baby kale or baby spinach). Cook, stirring regularly, until the greens have wilted.
- Serve garnished with shaved parmesan cheese, additional finely chopped walnuts and freshly ground pepper.
Notes
More gnocchi recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This was so delicious! I did have to substitute spinach and chicken broth but luckily had everything else on hand! I used the PC brand shelf stable gnocchi which is 500 grams but we still had no leftovers 😉
So glad you enjoyed it, Tamaira :) Thanks so much!
An elegant recipe with minimal effort . I might add a bit of freshly grated nutmeg next time but it’s perfection as is!
So glad you enjoyed it, Rachel! Thanks so much :)
We made this last night and thoroughly enjoyed it!  As well as the chard leaves, we added some of the very finely chopped stems, and served it with some roasted broccolini.  We’ll definitely make it again this fall/winter.  It’s super quick and easy from ingredients we usually always have on hand.  A great recipe – thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Helen! Thanks so much :)