Artichoke-Lemon Pesto on Gnocchi and Shrimp

If it looks like there's a lot of pesto caked onto those gnocchi, that's because there is.

I ended up with a spare jar of artichoke hearts recently, and Pinterest pointed me to this pesto recipe as a solution. If we didn't love spinach-avocado pesto quite so much, I'd say this recipe would become a new favorite. But when life hands you lemons and artichoke, this is a delicious way to use them.

The lemon I got was gigantic. In fact, I almost broke into it a few times over the course of the week, thinking it was a navel orange. Somehow it didn't occur to me that maybe I should only put half of it in this pesto; I was just excited about how much juice was coming out of this thing. As a result, our dinner was VERY lemony. I'd fix that next time.

As a side note to this recipe, this is my favorite way of preparing shrimp. I got it from Ina Garten and I rarely do it any other way - it's easy and delicious. Olive oil, salt, pepper, bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Perfection.

The Recipe:
8 oz artichoke hearts, drained (I used marinated, but there was LOTS of flavor - plain would have been fine)
3 cloves garlic
1 small lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 c parsley
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c walnut pieces
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb shrimp
2 17-oz packages gnocchi

Pulse all ingredients besides shrimp and gnocchi in food processor until desired consistency.
Cook gnocchi according to package instructions.
Place shrimp in single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Toss pesto, gnocchi, and shrimp together and serve.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: B+

Overall reason: I like other pestos better, but this is a delicious change of pace.

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Husband quote: (Me, slowing down): "I forgot how heavy gnocchi i--" (Jess, immediately): "I'll help you finish it!"

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