1) Cook mushrooms. Start by cooking the sliced mushrooms seasoned with salt and pepper in olive oil in a large high-sided skillet. Remove half of them to the plate.
2) Make the creamy sauce and cook the gnocchi. Next, to the same skillet with the half of cooked mushrooms, add uncooked potato gnocchi, chicken broth, heavy cream, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Bring to a boil on medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, while the sauce boils.
3) Add fresh spinach, and cook on medium heat until the spinach wilts to your liking.
4) Assembly. Finally, assemble the dish by seasoning the creamy gnocchi with salt and pepper, as well as red pepper flakes and more smoked paprika. Top with the remaining half of the cooked mushrooms. Your dinner is ready!
Cooking tips
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.
Storage and reheating tips
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.
What to serve with it
Because the spinach and mushroom gnocchi is made with a rich and luscious cream sauce, a fresh salad is a great choice. I would suggest a basic spinach or arugula salad, sprinkled with toasted nuts, a small amount of grated Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese, and dressed with your favorite salad dressing! Here are some ideas for fresh salads:
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
Season with more salt, freshly ground coarse black pepper, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika, if you like.
Top with the remaining half of the cooked mushrooms.
