Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi

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Parmesan spinach gnocchi is a tasty, luxurious dish. Tender dumplings are coated in a rich creamy white sauce featuring rustic flavors, tasty herbs and a bright squeeze of lemon. Make this easy recipe in 25 minutes. Serve and enjoy as a delicious dinner or side.

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🧑🏼‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s a quick easy dish that comes together in 25 minutes.
• It’s creamy, tasty and flavorful. Its tender texture and delicious mouthfeel is deeply satisfying. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
• This is a restaurant-style recipe that’s very versatile.
• Make it more savory with sun dried tomato. Just add strips to the pan (along with some oil from the jar) when adding in the garlic and herbs.
• Make it more herby by adding fresh basil. Hand tear the herb and toss it into the pan alongside the spinach.
• Enjoy it meatless, or make it heartier by adding protein. Sprinkle the top with crisp crunchy (cooked) bacon, or gently mix in some cubed rotisserie chicken breast or garlic butter steak bites.
• Parmesan spinach gnocchi can be served as a main dish or side. For a meat and potatoes dinner, it can replace a baked potato casserole, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or fries.

🛒 Ingredients

• Dried Gnocchi: (Not fresh gnocchi). When cooked according to package directions it has a tender, fluffy texture, not a gummy chewy bite. I use DeCecco, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
• Olive Oil: Helps the onion caramelize while cooking. But if you don’t have olive oil on hand, feel free to use a neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil, canola oil or corn oil.
• White Onion: Adds a sweet/savory flavor and extra depth to the cream sauce. This ingredient also pairs well with parmesan and spinach.
• Garlic Cloves: Are a powerhouse of rustic flavor. A key ingredient for the sauce, we use 1 tablespoon (or more) minced garlic in this recipe.
• Thyme: Has an earthy, minty flavor with hints of floral and lemon. It’s also slightly peppery and sweet. If you use fresh thyme instead of dried – that will really boost the flavor. But feel free to use whatever you have on hand, fresh or dried. Or even substitute with dried Italian herbs.
• Butter: An important ingredient for the roux. It’s rich, creamy and flavorful. Feel free to use salted or unsalted butter.
• All-purpose Flour: Along with butter, it’s used to create a roux to thicken the cream sauce.
• Whole Milk: Is the base of our smooth, delicious cream sauce. For an even creamier mouthfeel, use heavy cream or half and half.
• Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Ground Black Pepper: Has an earthy rustic flavor with a bit of heat.
• Ground Nutmeg (optional): A classic spice for gratin, although not everyone likes the flavor.
• Fresh Baby Spinach: Has a mild sweet/grassy taste that when cooked becomes more robust. It pairs well with parmesan and gnocchi. Although 4 ounces of spinach may seem like a lot – it’s really not. Spinach wilts down as it cooks.
• Lemon: We use lemon juice to brighten the overall flavor.

📖 Recipe Steps

RECIPE PREP: Salt a large pot of water so it tastes like the ocean. Bring it to a boil over medium/high heat. Keep it at a rolling boil until you’re ready to cook the gnocchi.

1. Heat a large wide skillet (with high sides) over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion to the pan. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until the onion is fragrant, soft and beginning to caramelize – about 4 to 5 minutes. Add in garlic and thyme. Cook for 1 minute. Add in butter and stir until melted. Sprinkle in flour and stir until the mixture has thickened and begins to bubble. Cook 1 minute more.
2. Slowly add in the milk, stirring constantly. Whisk out any large lumps of roux. We want the sauce smooth. Bring the sauce to a bubble. Cook about 5 minutes – just until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from heat. Season with nutmeg (only if you like that flavor), salt and pepper.
3. Add dried gnocchi to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions (usually about 3 minutes). While the gnocchi is cooking, add parmesan cheese, spinach and lemon juice to the skillet with the cream sauce. Stir to combine. The spinach will start to wilt, but at this point it may not wilt completely.
4. Once the gnocchi have risen to the surface of the boiling water they are done. Lift them out of the pot with a scoop colander or a spider strainer. Do not empty the water from the pot. Add gnocchi to the spinach cream sauce and toss to combine. If the sauce is too thin, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hot starchy cooking water from the gnocchi pot.

1. Top parmesan spinach gnocchi with additional parmesan cheese. If desired, add a few twists of freshly-cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Serve and enjoy immediately.

👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQ

These are the most commonly-asked questions for making parmesan spinach gnocchi, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.

🍽 More Tasty Pasta Recipes

If you loved the flavorful goodness of parmesan spinach gnocchi, you’ll be excited to try these delicious pasta recipes. Save your favorites for later. Add them to your monthly meal-plan rotation.

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Flavor testers rated this the best parmesan spinach gnocchi. They loved the creamy texture and the delicious flavor profile. They noted how quick and easily this recipe comes together. A perfect meal for a busy family.

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