The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Pesto Chicken Gnocchi with Asparagus & Lemon Dressing
A bright and delicious pasta bowl packed with vibrant flavours. Think pillowy potato gnocchi. Seasonal asparagus, sweet leeks and leafy spinach. And tender free-range British chicken coated in a creamy basil pesto sauce. Finish with a drizzle of lemon dressing for a refreshing zing.
High protein
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 80g greek style yoghurt (Milk)
- 80g baby spinach
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 600g potato gnocchi (Potato Puree (Water, Potato Flakes and Potato Starch Equal To 98% Of Potatoes), Salt, Rice Flour.)
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 130g asparagus
- 3 garlic clove
- 1 leek
- 1 onion
- 600g British Free Range chicken thighs
Nutritional Information
Calories: 621
Protein: 40g
Carbs: 54g
Fat: 27g
Pesto Chicken Gnocchi with Asparagus & Lemon Dressing
A bright and delicious pasta bowl packed with vibrant flavours. Think pillowy potato gnocchi. Seasonal asparagus, sweet leeks and leafy spinach. And tender free-range British chicken coated in a creamy basil pesto sauce. Finish with a drizzle of lemon dressing for a refreshing zing.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Pull out a large frying pan, a medium non-stick frying pan, a small bowl, a grater, a sieve & a measuring jug
Fry the chicken
- Dice chicken into 3cm pieces
- Heat the large frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 7 mins. Season with salt and pepper
Start the prep
- Meanwhile, finely dice the onion. Trim and slice the leek into 1/2cm thick half-moons. Finely chop or crush the garlic. Cut the tips off the asparagus, then thinly slice the stalks
- Add the onion, leek and garlic to the chicken pan and cook for 7 mins, until the veg has softened and the chicken is cooked through
Make the lemon dressing
- Zest half the lemon into the small bowl
- Add 1 tbsp oil and squeeze in the juice from the lemon (or to taste). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper
Cook the gnocchi & make the sauce
- Heat the medium non-stick frying pan with 1/2 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the gnocchi and cook for 4-5 mins, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Season with salt
- Stir the pesto and 250ml hot water into the chicken pan. Bring to the boil, add the asparagus and simmer for 3-4 mins, until the sauce has thickened and the asparagus is soft
Last bits & plate up
- Finely chop the parsley. Rinse the spinach and stir into the sauce, along with the cooked gnocchi and half the parsley
- Simmer for 1 min, until wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the yoghurt until combined. Season to taste
- Check your chicken is cooked through by cutting a large piece in half; the flesh should be white and the juices running clear
- Serve the gnocchi into bowls and sprinkle over the remaining parsley. Spoon over the lemon drizzle to finish
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