Creamy Spinach Artichoke Gnocchi (1 pan, 30 minutes)
Spinach artichoke gnocchi combines the delicious flavors and textures of creamy spinach artichoke dip with crisp, pillowy gnocchi! This easy 1-pan meal is packed with protein and veggies! (gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free options)
Servings: 3
Ingredients
For the Cream Sauce
- 4 ounces firm or silken tofu
- 1/4 cup raw cashews or a mix of cashews and hemp seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard or ½ teaspoon prepared natural mustard
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon miso (use chickpea miso for soyfree)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or a mix of basil and oregano
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water or stock
For the Gnocchi
- 3 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chopped red or white onion
- 8 ounces refrigerated potato gnocchi
- 7 ounces marinated artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- 5 ounces baby spinach or chopped spinach
- 3 to 4 tablespoons vegan mozzarella optional
- fresh basil torn, for topping, as needed
- red pepper flakes for topping
Instructions
Make the cream sauce.
- Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend for 1 minute. Let that sit for about 5 minutes to rehydrate the cashews or seeds. Then blend again for 30 seconds. If the mixture isn’t smooth yet, blend for another 30 seconds. Set the cream sauce aside.
Make the spinach artichoke gnocchi.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and mix in the minced garlic. Stir for 10–15 seconds, then mix in the red pepper flakes and mix. Next, add the chopped onion and a generous dash of salt. Increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until the onions are translucent. (Total 6 mins). You can add a splash of water around the 3 minute mark to help the onions brown and cook evenly.
- Once the onions are translucent, add the gnocchi and the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes until the gnocchi starts turning toasty and golden. Fold the artichokes and cream sauce into the skillet and mix well. Rinse out the blender with about ½ cup of water, then pour that into the skillet. Mix everything well, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, 3-4 mins, then mix in the spinach. It might not all fit at once, so add as much as you can and cover the skillet with a lid. Let the spinach steam and wilt for a minute or two, then open the lid and fold it into the sauce.
- Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more salt or tang, if needed. Adjust consistency, add more water or stock for thinner sauce if needed or to make it a creamy soup. Top the creamy gnocchi with vegan mozzarella and fresh basil. Cover the skillet again and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the mozzarella melts. If your skillet is oven-safe, you can also place it under the broiler for a minute or so to melt and slightly brown the cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and pepper flakes. Serve creamy and hot with a side of side salad or crisp garlic bread.
Video
Notes
For a crispy topping, you can add breadcrumbs along with the mozzarella before broiling. If your skillet isn’t heat-proof, toast the breadcrumbs separately in a small pan with olive oil until golden, then sprinkle on top just before serving.
To make this nut-free, replace the cashews with hemp seeds and make sure your cheese is nut-free.
For soy-free, replace the tofu with an extra ¼ cup cashews or hemp seeds and make sure that you are using soy-free vegan cheese. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free gnocchi. For the best texture, toast the gnocchi before adding any liquid to the pan. It improves the flavor and makes it soft and pillowy instead of chewy. You can also mix in other greens, like chopped Swiss chard, mustard greens, amaranth greens, or any leafy greens you like.
For soy-free, replace the tofu with an extra ¼ cup cashews or hemp seeds and make sure that you are using soy-free vegan cheese. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free gnocchi. For the best texture, toast the gnocchi before adding any liquid to the pan. It improves the flavor and makes it soft and pillowy instead of chewy. You can also mix in other greens, like chopped Swiss chard, mustard greens, amaranth greens, or any leafy greens you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 697mg | Potassium: 559mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5148IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 6mg