Spinach Gnocchi Recipes

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 400 degree F. Using a fork, pierce the potatoes all around and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender in the center.
• Once out of the oven, let the potatoes cool until you can handle them. Scoop the potatoes out of the skins and place into a potato ricer (THIS thing). If you don't have a ricer, then mash the potatoes with a fork until well combined and broken down. Let sit to cool.
• In a medium pot, boil water. Place the spinach into boil for 3 minutes. Drain and place the spinach in a food processor or high speed blender and blend until pureed. If needed, add a splash of water in to help the spinach blend.
• Once the potatoes are completely cooled, pour half of the pureed spinach onto the riced potatoes. Pour the flour and all of the salt on top of the spinach. Using a fork or your hands, mix it all together. Add in a bit more spinach, a few tablespoons at a time, until it is all added. The finished dough should resemble cookie dough that's just slightly sticky but easy to handle. If it's too sticky, add a bit more flour.
• Once fully combined, roll the dough into a ball and cut it into eight even pieces. Roll each piece into a long log that's about 1/2 an inch thick. Cut the gnocchi into 1 inch pieces. Gently toss each piece into flour to ensure that it's dry and not sticky at any edges. Continue until you've cut out pieces from all of the dough.
• Optional: using a gnocchi board or fork, press grooves into each piece of gnocchi.
• The gnocchi can be stored in the fridge for 3 days, the freeze for a few weeks, or cooked right away.

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• For the gnocchi: In a large stock pot over high heat, boil the potatoes, salt, smashed garlic, and roughly chopped onions until the potatoes are fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and return to the pot to allow the water to cook off, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the spinach is wilted, 5 minutes, stirring often. Place the mixture in a strainer set over a bowl to catch the liquids as it drains off, applying pressure gently a few times to accelerate liquid removal. Reserve 1/2 cup liquid.
• When the potatoes are dry and slightly cooled, roughly cut them and pass through a food mill or ricer. Set aside. (Guy's tip: after ricing the potatoes, spread them out on a baking sheet and allow them to dry out even more to remove moisture).
• In a food processor bowl fitted with the bottom blade, add the strained spinach, pulse to puree, and then add the egg and egg yolk, flour, nutmeg, and Parmesan. Pulse until well mixed. Place into a large bowl and gently fold in the riced potatoes, gently stirring until just combined. You will have very soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and roll into a 1 1/2-inch thick snake. Dust the dough lightly with flour and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece gently with your thumb, leaving a small indentation on 1 side of the gnocchi. Place the finished gnocchi on a lightly floured, parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (Guy's tip: if you have time, let the gnocchi rest in the refrigerator or freezer until chilled prior to cooking. It will help the gnocchi hold its shape better).
• Fill a large stock pot 3/4 full with water, place over high heat, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and bring to a rapid boil.
• Meanwhile, for the sauce: Wipe clean the same pan that the spinach was cooked in and place over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter and melt. Add the garlic and chile flakes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, reduce for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock, reserved spinach liquid, half-and-half, and cheese and reduce an additional 3 minutes. Add the pepper, tomatoes, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• When the sauce is ready, add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook for 3 1/2 minutes. Remove, drain, and let rest for 5 minutes. Add to the sauce and garnish with Parmesan and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Freeze any leftover gnocchi for a later meal.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot salted water to a boil.
• Cut the stems off the spinach, and soak the leaves in the sink. Wash them thoroughly.
• Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove spinach from the water and plunge in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
• Drain the spinach very well, and using a clean tea towel, squeeze out the extra water. Chop the leaves very fine.
• Put the cooked spinach in a large bowl, add the ricotta, 3 tablespoons Parmesan, egg yolks, and season with a couple pinches salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix well, and make sure that the ricotta crumbles into fine pieces, and mixes properly with the spinach. Shape the mixture into balls about the size of walnuts.
• Lightly butter a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish, lay all the gnocchi in it, and dress it with a few very thin slices butter and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Cook the gnocchi at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, and then use the broiler for the last 5 minutes to crisp and brown the top of the spinach balls.
• In a medium skillet, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, and saute the sage until it starts to brown. Serve the gnocchi on a warm plate and dress with the sage-butter sauce, and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a pot with the water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes at a strong simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain the water from the pot and let the potatoes cool for only a few minutes before you begin to pull the skins from the potatoes. Discard the potato skins and, while still hot, pass the potatoes through a ricer into a bowl.
• To the riced potatoes add the spinach and mix well.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, and incorporate well.
• Add the flour in two stages so that only the amount that is necessary will be used to bind the potato. Add the second half of the flour (and have some additional flour available if necessary) and mix well to form a dough.
• Divide the dough in half, and on a floured work surface, roll the first half of dough into a log 1-inch thick. Cut the log into 1/2-inch thick round pieces.
• Lay the pieces out, and the back of a fork or your thumb, make an indentation on one side.
• Set aside and refrigerate until needed.
• Cook as you would pasta in several quarts of boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. They cook very quickly and are cooked when they float to the surface.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the poppy seeds and pour over the gnocchi in a large serving bowl.

GNOCCHI WITH CREAMY TOMATO & SPINACH SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the garlic until golden, then add the tomatoes. Season, then simmer for 10 mins. Stir in mascarpone, then cook for 2 mins more.
• Meanwhile, boil the gnocchi according to pack instructions. Add the spinach for the final min of cooking. Drain well, pour back into the pan, then stir the sauce through. Mix well and serve immediately with basil leaves and Parmesan shavings scattered over, if you like.

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Blanch the spinach for no more than 20 seconds in salted boiling water. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop fine.
• Heat the butter or olive oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan and add the spinach, salt (remembering that you will be adding Parmesan, which is salty), pepper, ricotta and flour. Stir together and let the mixture sizzle while you stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs, nutmeg and Parmesan. The mixture should be stiff. Transfer to a bowl, cover well and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment and dust generously with flour. Remove the gnocchi mixture from the refrigerator. There are a few ways to form the gnocchi. You can scoop out small balls by the rounded teaspoon and place on the parchment (they will be sticky so use another spoon to scrape them out of the measuring spoon), or you can divide the dough into 4 pieces and on a floured surface, with lightly floured hands, gently roll each piece into a coil about 3/4 inch wide. Cut into 1-inch pieces and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Alternatively, place the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8 inch round tip and pipe 1-inch blobs onto the parchment. Don't worry if the dough is sticky.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Meanwhile heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan. Adjust the heat under the water so that it is boiling gently and drop in the gnocchi, about 10 at a time. If they stick to the parchment or your hands lightly flour your fingers and sprinkle a little flour over the gnocchi. Once they float to the top simmer for 4 minutes, then move them to the pan of sauce with a slotted spoon. Serve with the sauce and additional Parmesan to taste.

SPINACH & RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Boil the kettle. Place the spinach in a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. Leave for 2 mins until wilted, then drain thoroughly. Leave to cool, then wrap a clean tea towel around the spinach. Hold it over the sink and squeeze out as much water as possible. Finely chop.
• Place the spinach, parsley, garlic, ricotta, flour, eggs, cheese and a generous grating of nutmeg into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to stir very thoroughly until everything is completely mixed. Using wet hands, form the mixture into walnut-size balls. Place on a large plate or tray and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
• When ready to cook, heat the oven to warm and bring a large pan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and drop in batches of about 8-10 gnocchi at a time. They will sink to the bottom, and when they rise to the top give them about 1 min more, then remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve the gnocchi on warm plates drizzled with olive oil and scattered with rocket and more cheese.

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes until tender, about an hour. Immediately split them open to let the steam escape. When you can handle the potatoes, scoop out their flesh.
• While the potatoes bake, roughly chop the spinach. Put the oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the spinach, season to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and wilted, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and squeeze dry. Transfer to a food processor and purée until smooth.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Pass potato flesh through a ricer or food mill, stir in the spinach purée, and season to taste. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour on a clean counter or cutting board, and knead the potatoes with it, sprinkling in the remaining 1/2 cup flour, until the dough just comes together. Pinch off a piece of the dough, and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape. If it does not, knead in a bit more flour (no more than necessary), and try again; the gnocchi will float to the top and look a little raggedy when ready.
• Roll a piece of the dough into a rope about 1/2-inch thick, then cut the rope into 1/2-inch lengths. Score each piece by rolling it along the tines of a fork; as each piece is ready, put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper; do not allow the gnocchi to touch one another.
• Add the gnocchi to the boiling water a few at a time, and gently stir; adjust the heat so the mixture doesn't boil too vigorously. A few seconds after they rise to the surface, the gnocchi are done; remove them with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, and finish with any of the following sauces: Tomato Sauce: Cook a small chopped onion in olive oil until soft. Add minced garlic, 3 to 4 cups of chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh, and salt and pepper. Cook at a steady bubble until ''saucy.'' If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of the gnocchi cooking water before serving. Garnish with torn basil and/or grated Parmesan. Brown Butter, Sage, and Parmesan: Put 4 tablespoons butter and a handful of fresh sage leaves (40 wouldn't be too many) in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the butter is light brown and the sage is sizzling, about 3 minutes. Toss with the gnocchi, some of their cooking water and loads of grated Parmesan. Olive Oil and Garlic: Put at least a tablespoon of minced garlic in a puddle of olive oil, along with (optional) red-pepper flakes and/or chopped anchovies. Cook until the garlic just turns golden (but no more than that). Toss with the gnocchi, some of their cooking water and plenty of chopped parsley. Bacon and Cream: Cook some chopped bacon, prosciutto or pancetta in a bit of olive oil over medium-low heat until nearly crisp. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and a lot of pepper. Let the cream thicken slightly before adding the gnocchi.