These potato spinach gnocchi are deliciously comforting, light and tasty. They're a great way to hide greens - you'll be too busy enjoying them to notice!
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As I mentioned when I shared my acorn squash gnocchi, our household has a slight gnocchi obsession. Well, ok maybe it's my son and we are happy to jump on the bandwagon, but they are so comforting, easy to gobble down and can have quite a few varieties.
I have made ricotta spinach gnudi a few times which we really enjoyed, though my little one sometimes notices the spinach and gets picky, if I'm not super careful to chop it extra small.
So, I got to think about potato spinach gnocchi, with the spinach blended in to make a lovely pale green color. They have quickly become a regular in our house.
Tips for making potato spinach gnocchi
Like other potato gnocchi recipes, these are a firmer dough so relatively easy to form. However, some tips:
- Make sure the spinach is properly drained so you limit the amount of water being added.
- Chop the spinach up a bit before you blend it with the potato to make it easier to break up and not clog the blender.
- You don't need to completely blend it in, just small enough pieces so you don't get clumps or stringy bits.
- I would recommend making up the mixture while the potatoes are still warm, though not too hot, as this helps the dough be lighter.
Can you make gnocchi ahead of time?
In short, yes - here are ways that you can do it:
Make ahead and cover or chill.
I do sometimes make these an hour or so ahead of time and if it's cool, I leave them out on a floured surface. If warmer, I just store them on a plate in the fridge, covered, but be aware, they do soften, so don't leave them too long. And be careful taking them off the plate when you cook them, as they will likely stick a little. Ease them off with a fork.
Cook ahead and reheat.
As I mentioned when I shared my acorn squash gnocchi, gnocchi can be cooked, refrigerated in a little oil, pesto or other sauce and reheated, as we often do for lunch the next day. My son loves these as a lunchbox meal - I either gently microwave them or if it's a thicker sauce like tomato, warm them in the sauce in a pan.
Freeze and cook from frozen.
You can also freeze uncooked gnocchi by laying them out on a baking sheet then transfer to a freezer bag when frozen. Then cook them from frozen - they'll just take a minute longer.
These potato spinach gnocchi can be served with a variety of sauces or toppings, as they are pretty mild in flavor. Pesto works well, as would a little browned butter, and I do really like butternut squash sauce.
They are little pillowy balls of tastiness so have them however works for you to enjoy them to their fullest. My son for one gobbles them down quickly and will always ask for more, at least once.
Remember to pin this for later!
Enjoy gnocchi? Try these tasty dishes:
- Gnocchi with pork and fennel
- Acorn squash gnocchi
- Beet gnocchi
- Creamy bacon sauce with spinach for pasta or gnocchi
- Lobster gnocchi
- Plus get more comforting meals in the winter recipes archives.
Potato spinach gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 lb potatoes
- 4 ½ oz spinach weight after any stems have been removed
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all purpose flour plain flour
- 1 dash nutmeg
- salt and papper
- ¼ cup parmesan finely grated, loosely packed
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese optional
Instructions
- Peel and boil the potatoes until tender.
- Place spinach in a bowl, pour over the water from the potatoes and leave for a couple minutes to wilt.
- Drain both the potatoes and spinach. Place spinach in a dish towel and squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Roughly chop the spinach and add to the potatoes. Blend both together - this can be easier after giving the potatoes a bit of a mash first.
- Allow the potato-spinach mixture to cool then add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Flour a work surface and your hands.
- Take large spoonfuls of the mixture and roll out into a log then cut off chunks and roll into balls.
- Bring a shallow pan of water to the boil. Add a few gnocchi at a time to the water, keeping it boiling.
- When the gnocchi rise to the top, remove with a slotted spoon to an oiled bowl and repeat.
- Serve with pesto, or simply olive oil and topped with parmesan.
Notes
or Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Round Braiser
.Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
Try these other hot lunch ideas:
- Beef Stroganoff by The Crumby Kitchen
- Lasagna Joes by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Raisin Bread Chicken Grilled Cheese by Pies and Plots
- Kielbasa Rice Bowl by The Freshman Cook
- Make It and Take It Burrito Bowl by Our Good Life
- Vegetable Beef Soup with Roasted Garlic by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Heather
Never tried to make gnocchi, but your spinach recipe turned out to be delicious. I really squeezed out the spinach, and only used half an egg, and no cream cheese, as I felt the dough was the right consistency. Wasn’t sure if the Parmesan was supposed to go in the dough mix or sprinkled on at end, so did both!
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear you enjoyed them! Yes I admit I often skip the cream cheese myself these days, but it can be nice too. The parmesan listed here is to add in to the dough, but yes I always add more on top too 🙂
lisa
recipe didn't work for me. potato mix ended up super runny... no advise on type of potatoes or water logging? didn't know that was thing?
Caroline's Cooking
Sorry to hear it didn't work out. It's hard to know exactly what happened without a bit more detail, but here are a few ideas. I don't specify the type of potato as it shouldn't particularly matter. The only thing is the level of starch can impact how likely they are to become over-worked which can make them gluey. A couple things that might have happened - the spinach might need extra draining, as it does really need to be squeezed well. Cook the potatoes until they are just tender, but not falling apart. If they are cooked too long, they can take in more water. It can be worth mashing a bit while still warm to help steam (and so water) come out more. If you find the mixture seems a bit liquid when you mix the potato and spinach, try just using an egg yolk rather than a full egg to compensate a bit. You can also add a bit extra flour.
Margaret
What type of potato is best, a baking potato like russet, a waxy potato like red norland, yukon gold etc. They are all very different and this will be my first attempt so would hate to have to bin the dough.
Caroline's Cooking
An all purpose or slightly dry potato is best, ideally one with a bit of flavor, so Yukon Gold is probably one of the best. Not anything waxy as the texture isn't right. If you can't get Yukon Gold or similar (eg Desiree) then Russet. Just make sure they are cooked but not full of water and that they steam out a little after draining and mashing while warm. And also drain the spinach really well - overall you want as little water in there as possible. Hope you enjoy!
Supriya Kuttty
These sound delicious Caroline! Never knew that this is so simple recipe. Loved this recipe. Surely gonna try this asap. and I bet myself that my family would fall in love with this Gnocchi. Looking forward to more easy recipes, Thanks for sharing this with us. Best wishes and Regards
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, it's a firm favorite here!
Nikki
These look so delicious! I daughter would love these. They are her favorite!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Nikki, gnocchi have that great comfort factor, I can understand why they are well loved!
laura dembowski
I would never have guessed gnocchi leftovers are tasty. So good to know when making a big batch!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Laura, they can stick together once cooked - all you need to do is add a little oil, pesto or other sauce then they are fine, but even better is freezing extra before cooking then cook as you need (even if that's in the morning as you pack lunch!)
Christine @ myblissfulmess
Looks yummy! Around here, I have to hide the greens if I want them to eat them LOL. This looks like a great way to do that.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Christine, and I understand the challenge - this way of hiding definitely works for us!
Liz
My daughter LOVES gnocchi and she'd be thrilled with these for lunch and dinner! They would be fabulous with pesto!!!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Liz, we often have them with a little pesto and then parmesan on top. The whole family loves them!
Cindy @CindysRecipesAndWritings
These gnocchi sound delicious! A little cheese is all they need no sauce!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks Cindy, they'd certainly work like that too 🙂
Miz Helen
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you are having a great weekend and enjoy your new Red Plate!
Miz Helen
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Miz Helen, I saw that! Hope many more can enjoy!
Miranda @ Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt
I've never had gnocchi, but this recipe really makes me want to jump on the band wagon as well. I bet my family would fall in love! We'll be featuring this recipe as one of ours favorites this week at the Sunday's Recipe Wrap-up!
Caroline's Cooking
They are great, hope you manage to try, and thanks so much for featuring the recipe!
Miz Helen
Your Potato Spinach Gnocchi looks delicious and perfect comfort food for this cold weather. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, they are indeed great for this weather. Hope you get a chance to try them!
Cynthia
I've always been afraid to make gnocchi because I've heard that they are hard to make but Caroline you make it seem so easy that I'd be silly not to try it myself! Thanks for making the method instructions so easy to follow I'm going to try my hand at this next week! Thank you for bringing this to FF!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Cynthia, that's so kind to say and I hope it works out. Let me know how it goes!
Ginger
Beautiful! I am not very lucky with gnocchi, mostly I manage to turn them into mashed potatoes (probably not enough flour?) Perhaps I need to take classes with you ...
Caroline's Cooking
Happy to host, Ginger! It may be they need more flour, or it can be if the potatoes are too wet - maybe if they are cooked too long, I believe that makes they take in more water. The variety of potato may impact plus they are better made up while the potatoes are still a little warm. Good luck trying again!
Dini @ Giramuk's Kitchen
Caroline I admire your ability to make perfect gnocchi! I have attempted it once and it didn't come out looking so beautiful! I may need to practice more and I will definitely be using your recipe to do so! I love gnocchi too (not when it's made by me) so I definitely need to learn how to make it! Thank you for the tips too - I never knew making the dough while the potatoes are warm makes it lighter 🙂
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks so much, Dini. I guess maybe practice helps! Good luck trying again!
Judi Graber
I have been wanting to make gnocchi ever since I took a class. I have quite a collection of recipes and now yours! Looks delicious 🙂
Erin @ Making Memories
Delicious. I hadn't realized gnocchi was so easy to make. I can't wait to try to make it. Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, Erin. Yes they aren't all that difficult at all. I would just say allow a little bit of time for rolling out as that can take longer than you think!
Vohn's Vittles
Ooh - these sound delicious Caroline! Thanks for the recipe - great idea for leftover potatoes and using up that bag of spinach I always have in the back of the fridge!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, yes it's a great way to use up things you often have left over. I would just say don't use potatoes that have already been cooked and cooled, the gnocchi will probably come out a bit heavy.