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If someone offered you $20 to explain what gnocchi is, would you be able to put the money in your pocket? If you couldn’t before today, you’ll be able to now! Especially with this homemade spinach gnocchi recipe.
Probably the best way to gnocchi is it’s an extremely delicious Italian dish that consists of small dumplings (usually made out of flour, potatoes or semolina) along with a favorite sauce.
Now that you know what gnocchi is, now we’re going to show you how to make some spinach gnocchi from the comfort and convenience of your very own home. In about 45 minutes (give or take 10 minutes), you’ll not only be eating a meal that’s good for you (because spinach contains Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate, fiber and magnesium), but you’ll also be serving up the kind of dish that is nothing short of delish!
Homemade Spinach Gnocchi Recipe
Gather your ingredients for the spinach gnocchi recipe:
- 9 cups of fresh boiled spinach
- 2 cups of ricotta cheese
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of parmesan
- A couple of dashes of nutmeg
- A couple of dashes of salt
Steps for making the homemade spinach gnocchi:
Step 1:
(Tip: If you decide to go with pre-packed spinach, just make sure you get enough for nine cups.) Once I have the amount of spinach that I need, I boil (it shouldn’t take longer than 3-5 minutes) and strain it (so that I can separate the spinach from the water). Then I take the spinach into my hands and squeeze it gently in order to remove an excess water from it (you’ll see why in just a sec!).
Step 2:
With a big bowl in tow, I put the ricotta cheese, then the spinach in it. I stir both foods together (a big spoon is perfectly fine) until they are well-blended.
Step 3:
Then I add an egg and mix it well. After that, I stir in the parmesan, nutmeg and salt.
Step 4:
The last thing I add is the flour. This is when I really put my elbow into the mixing because once everything is added, the ingredients need to be blended together until they are super smooth. (I recommend putting on your favorite song and mix until it is almost over.)
Step 5:
For a hot sec, I put the bowl aside so that I can clean off my working area. I need it to be as dry and residue-free as possible.
Step 6:
Then I put a little flour on both of my hands, bring the bowl back, empty the contents in it and start kneading until everything turns into a dough-like consistency (if you need to add a bit more flour so that the dough doesn’t feel “wet”, that’s totally fine; advisable-actually).
Step 7:
Next, I pull out my rolling pin, dust it with some flour too (so that the dough doesn’t stick to it) and begin rolling the dough until it’s somewhere close to ½ inch thick.
Step 8:
With a sharp knife, I vertically cut down the dough until it becomes strips that are around 2 ½ inches wide. Every strip, I roll on its side, just a little bit, and cut the entire strip into small cubes (not super-small; a little more than bite-size).
Step 9:
Then I roll each cube in my hands and place them on a cookie sheet or tray (you might want to put some foil or parchment paper on the sheet/tray first so that the cubes don’t stick to it). I keep doing this until all of the strips have turned into “cube bowls”. (You might want to add a bit more flour to them so that they won’t stick together.)
Step 10:
I pull out a stainless steel pot, pour some water in it, set it on my stove and bring it to a boil. To speed up the boiling time and give the water a little flavor. I add a dash or two of salt to the water.
Step 11:
Next, I gently toss the spinach cubes (the homemade gnocchi) into the boiling water. Stir to making sure that none of them stick together.
Step 12:
I know they’re ready to take out once the cubes start floating on the surface of the water. I take them out of water with a slotted spoon (a spoon that has holes in it) so that the excess water can drain out. I put the gnocchi in a plastic bowl (for just a moment).
Now it’s time to make the sauce (which you can totally do while the gnocchi is cooking because it’ll only take a sec!).
Sauce for the Spinach Gnocchi Recipe
Gather your ingredients for the sauce:
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- (A drizzle or two of virgin olive oil is optional)
- 2 fresh sage leaves
- As much fresh parmesan as you’d like
Steps for making the sauce for the homemade spinach gnocchi:
Step 1:
I get a stainless steel frying pan, put all of the butter in it and let the butter melt on the stove on low-medium heat.
Step 2:
I immediately put the sage leaves in and stir them in the butter until they are cooked but not burned. I immediately remove the pan from the burner. (If you want to add some olive oil, now would be the time to do it.)
Step 3:
Then I bring the plastic bowl over to the pan with butter and sage and add the gnocchi. Gently stirring until all of the gnocchi has some of the butter and sage sauce on it.
Step 4:
Final step. I put a healthy serving of the gnocchi on four different plates (yep, this recipe makes four servings!). Then sprinkle a nice amount of fresh parmesan over each one. And I’m done. And it’s good!
Don’t forget, you can always all your choice of protein on top! I personally recommend bacon bits!
And if you’re hungry for something else, check out our carb-free sandwiches!
Enjoy!
