Description
This One Pot Creamy Tomato Spinach Gnocchi is a delicious and comforting dish combining blistered cherry tomatoes, tender gnocchi, fresh spinach, and a rich creamy sauce made with Parmesan and half-and-half. Cooked entirely in one skillet, it’s an easy weeknight meal that’s full of flavor and requires minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 large (40 g) leek, white and light green parts halved and thinly sliced
- ½ cup (64 g) yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach, a few handfuls
Dairy
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (26 g) grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup half-and-half, room temperature or lukewarm
Pantry
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup white wine or vegetable stock (more stock if needed to thin sauce)
- 16 ounces (453 g) gnocchi, refrigerated or dried
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the sliced leek and diced onion, cooking for about 3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt to build layers of flavor. Then add minced garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Cook tomatoes: Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook until they start to blister and soften, about 5 minutes. Gently smash them with the back of a spoon to release their juices, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Deglaze and enrich sauce: Pour in white wine or vegetable stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow it to reduce for 1-2 minutes. Stir in unsalted butter until melted and fully incorporated.
- Cook gnocchi: Add the gnocchi to the skillet, stirring to coat in the sauce. Spread the gnocchi in a single layer for even cooking. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, which is roughly 2 minutes longer than the package instructions since they are cooked in sauce instead of boiling water. Stir occasionally and test for doneness when gnocchi are soft and pillowy.
- Add cheese and spinach: One minute before the gnocchi are ready, stir in grated Parmesan cheese and half-and-half to create a creamy sauce. Then add baby spinach and stir gently until wilted. Add additional vegetable stock if the sauce needs thinning to your desired consistency.
- Serve: Immediately serve the gnocchi with extra Parmesan cheese and optional garnishes like fresh basil or chopped parsley. Enjoy this comforting, creamy one-pot meal warm.
Notes
- Use vegetable stock instead of white wine for a non-alcoholic, vegetarian-friendly option.
- If using dried gnocchi, add a couple extra minutes to the cooking time since they take longer to soften.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper throughout cooking for best flavor layering.
- Adding extra vegetable stock helps if sauce gets too thick while simmering.
- Fresh basil or parsley garnish adds bright, herbal notes to the final dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
