Chicken & Veggie Pesto Gnocchi

I was contemplating posting this meal because it ended up being way higher in calories, sodium, carbs (basically everything) than I anticipated. I am not really sure what I was thinking considering the main ingredients of pesto are oil & cheese. I guess I was having a mom moment & only using about 1/3 of my brain & just thought of the veggies & thought, "this has to be healthy!"...not really.

Alas, it was delicious! And who am I to deprive my friends of a delicious meal just because it's over 600 calories per serving? We all have to splurge every now & then...and this isn't even that bad compared to some pasta dishes. It's still full of veggies, plus I have a healthy alternative at the bottom that will get you under 500 calories per serving :)

INGREDIENTS:

For the pesto...
- 3oz fresh baby spinach
- About 6 leaves of fresh basil
- About 1 handful of fresh cilantro leaves
- 2tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1/2c grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4c extra virgin olive oil
To make the pesto, combine the 6 ingredients in a food processor & turn it on. As it is pulsing, slowly add the olive oil. Pulse until smooth. You can refrigerate this pesto for up to 2 days, however, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using it in this dish.

For the rest of the dish...
- 1lb whole wheat Gnocchi
- 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, diced (about 1-1.25lbs)
- About 10 mini sweet peppers, seeded & sliced in half (I used red & orange)
- 2 medium yellow squash, cut into half-moons
- 3oz of fresh baby spinach
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced

HOW-TO:

Preheat your oven to 425*. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Put the chicken, peppers, squash & spinach in the baking dish. Drizzle with the oil & add the garlic. Toss until the vegetables & chicken are evenly coated with the oil & garlic. Put in the oven & bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, toss the veggies & chicken & continue to bake for another 10 minutes.

While the veggies & chicken are cooking, cook the Gnocci according to the package.

Once the veggies & chicken are done cooking, add it to the Gnocci. Add in the prepared pesto and toss everything together. Garnish with some grated parm & enjoy!

TIPS:
- Garnish with some crushed red pepper flakes to add a little kick.
- If you aren't a fan of Gnocchi, swap with some whole what rotini or bowties.

Nutritional Info Per Serving (recipe yields 4 servings):
Calories: 624
Fat: 23g
Sodium: 980mg
Protein: 41g
Carbs: 58g

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE:
To cut down on the calories & fat, cut out the pesto all together. When mixing the veggies & chicken with the Gnocci, drizzle in 1tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 1/4c of grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 about 6 leaves of fresh basil chopped up. Mix together & enjoy an equally as tasty, but more figure-friendly, dish.

Alternative Recipe Nutritional Info Per Serving (recipe yields 4 servings):
Calories: 495
Fat: 11g
Sodium: 750
Protein: 37g
Carbs: 58g