Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Gnocchi is the ultimate comfort food made in just 20 minutes entirely in one pan! Store-bought gnocchi is dressed up with lots of veggies and creamy garlic sauce. It’s a perfect meatless meal on its own or a nice side dish to go along with your favorite protein.
One-pan spinach and mushroom gnocchi
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. This recipe is packed with vegetables and uses shelf-stable store-bought gnocchi. Everything is cooked in one pan, including the gnocchi! The simplicity of the creamy spinach and mushroom gnocchi makes it a perfect choice for a busy weeknight. This creamy restaurant-quality comfort food dish is meatless, yet satisfying. If you want to add some protein, check out this delicious chicken gnocchi for some ideas.
What kind of gnocchi to use?
Shelf-stable gnocchi (dry, packaged) is the best kind of gnocchi that will work with this creamy sauce. You can usually find dry packaged gnocchi in many grocery stores in the same aisle as pasta. I used store-bought potato gnocchi, Delallo brand, made with 85% potatoes.
Refrigerated gnocchi – you can find those, you guessed it, in the refrigerated pasta section of some grocery stores!
Cauliflower gnocchi sold by Trader Joe’s can also be used in this recipe without making any changes.
Can you use homemade gnocchi? Probably not, as they are likely to fall apart or turn into mush in a sauce-based recipe like this one.
Do you have to precook gnocchi?
No, the gnocchi takes only 5 minutes to cook and you cook them right in the sauce (heavy cream + broth). Also, the starch released from gnocchi helps to thicken the sauce as well. I use heavy cream in this recipe, but half-and-half can be used instead. Cooking the gnocchi in the same pan as the other ingredients saves you one more pan to clean and minimizes the cleanup.
Ingredients
Gnocchi. I used store-bought potato gnocchi, Delallo brand, made with 85% potatoes.
Spinach. I use fresh spinach and wilted it right in the sauce. You can also use frozen spinach – thawed and drained of any liquid. Or, use kale instead.
Mushrooms. I used fresh crimini mushrooms. You can also use portobello mushrooms or shiitake.
Heavy cream provides the desired creaminess. You can also use half-and-half.
Olive oil is used for sauteeing mushrooms.
Chicken broth is combined together with heavy cream to cook the gnocchi. You can also use vegetable or beef broth (or stock). Or, even water if don’t have chicken stock available.
Italian seasoning adds a ton of flavor to creamy spinach and mushroom gnocchi.
Smoked paprika is another spice that adds both color and lots of flavor to this dish.
Garlic. I used fresh minced garlic. It adds aroma and pungency to any dish.
Salt and pepper. Use those to taste. I recommend using freshly ground or coarse black pepper.
Red pepper flakes will add heat. Use these sparingly, to taste, so that they don’t overwhelm the dish.
How to cook one-pan gnocchi
This easy recipe is done in 4 simple steps.
