Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Gnocchi is the ultimate comfort food made in just 20 minutes entirely in one pan!. It’s a perfect meatless meal on its own or a nice side dish to go along with your favorite protein.
1. Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Gnocchi
Ingredients
Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz mushrooms crimini
- salt and pepper
Gnocchi
- 16 oz potato gnocchi
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbs from Provence
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or more
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
- coarsely ground black pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
Cook mushrooms
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet. Cook sliced mushrooms (seasoned with salt and pepper) on high heat for about 1 or 2 minutes, until lightly browned and softened. Remove half of the cooked mushrooms from the skillet to a plate.
Make creamy sauce
To the same skillet with the half of cooked mushrooms, add uncooked potato gnocchi, chicken broth, heavy cream, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Bring to a boil on medium heat and stir everything well. Cover with lid, and allow the gnocchi to cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, while the sauce boils.
Add fresh spinach, and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes until the spinach wilts to your liking. Cook longer if you would like a thicker sauce.
Assembly
Top with the remaining half of the cooked mushrooms. You can season with more salt, freshly ground coarse black pepper, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika, if you like.
2. Some Tips For You
Use shelf-stable packaged gnocchi for best results. Your next best choice is refrigerated gnocchi or cauliflower gnocchi. Homemade gnocchi can be fragile and fall apart in the sauce or turn into mush, so be careful if using homemade stuff.
The sauce will thicken as this dish cools. In this case, add a splash of extra heavy cream, half-and-half, milk, or chicken broth to thin it out before serving.
Use a high-sided, heavy-bottomed cooking pan such as a cast-iron skillet or a good-quality stainless steel pan. This will help avoid the burn spots and will ensure even cooking without food getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Can you make it gluten-free? Yes! There is gluten-free gnocchi available online or in some grocery stores. Just make sure to check the label.
3. Storing and Reheating
Fridge. Store spinach and mushroom gnocchi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer. I don’t recommend freezing this as I am not a fan of freezing cream-based sauces.
Reheat on the stovetop. I recommend reheating this dish on the stovetop for the best results. After being refrigerated, the creamy gnocchi sauce will thicken. Reheat it slowly, over low-medium heat in a large, high-sided skillet on the stovetop. When using this method, add a small amount of heavy cream, half-and-half, milk, or broth to thin out the sauce when reheating.
If you want an easy, tasty, filling, and meatless dinner, give this recipe a try! This one-pan meal takes only 20 minutes and is sure to become a family favorite.
