New Twist on Gnocchi

One of the new, quick recipes I tried out this week was Gratineed Gnocchi. It looked so fabulous that I actually tried it out on a dinner guest and I was not disappointed. It is hearty, comforting, and works well as a main dish (for 4) or a side dish (for 6+). I happened to serve it with some chicken sausage and a big salad. Everyone agreed it was a keeper.

It really doesn’t take that long to make – less than a half hour total. I even cheated and made the sauce and spinach ahead of time. Then just boiled the gnocchi when I was ready, mixed it together and popped it in the oven for a few.


Gratineed Gnocchi with Spinach & Ricotta

1 lb. package gnocchi
2/3 c heavy cream
½ t flour
½ t salt
½ t pepper
1/8 t ground nutmeg
2 – 6oz packages fresh baby spinach leaves
½ c ricotta cheese
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella

Bring 5-quart pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, preheat broiler.

Whisk together cream, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue to boil until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add spinach in handfuls, tossing with tongs. Cook 2-4 minutes until wilted. While spinach is cooking, toss the gnocchi in the water for specified amount of time (usually 2-4 minutes). Drain gnocchi and stir into spinach mixture. Remove from heat. (At this point you can put the mixture into a nice ovenproof serving dish, if you want.) Spoon ricotta over gnocchi in 5-6 large dollops and sprinkle all with mozzarella. Broil 4-6 inches from heat until cheese is brown and bubbling.



FYI – I am heading out on vacation for 10 days, so there will be another lull. Sorry!