Tuscan Gnocchi with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes
This incredible, creamy Tuscan gnocchi is exquisitely rich and full of fresh, summer vegetables! It’s so easy to prepare, feeds a family of 4 and takes less than half an hour to prepare! Such an impressive, colorful, decadent summer dinner!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 493kcal
Equipment
- sharp knife and cutting board
- cheese grater
- sauté pan
- pot - large enough to boil 15 oz. of gnocchi
- spatula
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 15 oz. gnocchi
- 1 small red onion - diced
- 3 cups fresh spinach - chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil - finely chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes - sliced
- ½ cup fresh parmesan - grated
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- salt & pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Coarsely dice 1 small red onion, coarsely chop 3 cups fresh spinach, grate ½ cup fresh parmesan, finely chop ¼ cup fresh basil and slice ½ cup cherry tomatoes. Keep each separate.
- In a sauté pan, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and diced onion. Allow it to sauté for 3 minutes. Then, place chopped spinach on top. Allow it to sauté with onion for 2-3 minutes. Remove both from pan and set aside.
- Place a pot on another burner and begin to boil enough water to cover your gnocchi while you prepare the sauce.
- To the sauté pan, add 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup chicken broth, grated parmesan, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. Italian seasoning. Over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, use a spatula to move and stir the sauce for 10-12 minutes until thick and bubbly. Turn off heat and cover with a lid when ready.
- Once water is boiling, pour in 15 oz. gnocchi. Be sure to check the directions on your package, but they usually take about 2-3 minutes to boil. Once finished, strain pasta.
- Under the sauté pan, turn on a LOW heat. Add spinach, onions, fresh basil, cherry tomatoes and gnocchi to the sauce. Gently stir for 1 minute, sprinkle with salt & pepper and serve.
Notes
1. Don’t boil that gnocchi more than it should be.
It cooks very quickly and gets very soft if overcooked. It will just be a pile of hot, wet dough if it boils longer than it should, so take it out right away. Also, don't wait for them to "rise" to know if they're done. Directions often mention this, but nope - it's the time that they're in the water, not whether they rise or not, that determines when they're done.
2. Save a few extra cherry tomatoes to pop on top.
To make it extra pretty, save a few sliced cherry tomatoes just to pop on top, that aren’t saucy like the rest. They really turn up the saturation on the whole meal!
3. To reheat:
Bake at 350 F. (175 C.) for 20 minutes. It’s also nice to sprinkle a little more parmesan on top first so the top gets nice and crispy.
See post for detailed instructions with photos of the process.
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3285IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 5mg