Spinach Gnocchi is a delicious healthy twist on my classic potato gnocchi recipe and it’s just as easy to make! Fluffy as pillows, these bright green tender little dumplings pair with any gnocchi sauce you can think of from the ultra creamy to the super meaty gnocchi Bolognese. Skip the store-bought stuff because this tastes way better and it can be made in less time than it probably takes you to make that trip! And with just 4 ingredients (+salt) you probably already have everything on hand to make it.
What to Expect From This Spinach Gnocchi Recipe
This is a frozen spinach gnocchi recipe that makes fluffy green gnocchi from scratch in under an hour (this includes 30 minutes for the gnocchi dough to rest). These gnocchi require just about 15 minutes of actual hands-on time and can be frozen and cooked any night of the week in 5 minutes or less. This is also a great time to mention green gnocchi makes a great Halloween meal that the adults will love just as much as the kids — you can call it Goblin Fingers Gnocchi or some other clever holiday name!
This is not a spinach gnocchi recipe that uses store-bought regular (white) gnocchi and then adds cooked spinach to a creamy sauce (which is convenient and can be delicious but this is not that). This is real Italian gnocchi the way my Italian mother-in-law makes it!
Once you make homemade spinach gnocchi for the first time and see for yourself how easy it is, you’ll probably also wonder why you’ve ever paid for it. The difference in flavor is a good enough reason to make it at home, but the texture will keep you coming back.
If you’re having any doubts about making homemade gnocchi, click here to check out my short how-to-make (classic) gnocchi video before you get started — it’ll give you all the confidence you need to get started.
Overview: Making Spinach Gnocchi From Scratch
If you’ve already made my classic gnocchi recipe, then you know all the best tips and techniques for making tender, light, never-chewy gnocchi. Those same tips apply here.
If this is your first time making homemade gnocchi, I recommend taking a look at this post before you begin — it shows you everything from the best potatoes and flour to use, the different types of gnocchi found in Italy, including real gnocchi photos we’ve ordered from restaurants, to how to combine the dough without making it dense or pasty, and so much more.
Here’s everything you’ll find in this post:
- Overview: Spinach Gnocchi Ingredients
- Overview: How to Make Spinach Gnocchi in 6 Easy Steps
- Spinach Gnocchi Step-by-Step Recipe Photos
- Best Gnocchi Sauce for Spinach Gnocchi
- Best Gnocchi Recipes
Overview: Homemade Potato Gnocchi Ingredients
This Northern Italian potato spinach gnocchi recipe uses basic ingredients: flour, egg yolk, potatoes, frozen (or fresh) spinach, and salt. Below is an overview of the ingredients but you can find the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card. You can easily make this a gnocchetti recipe by cutting the gnocchi into much smaller pieces — easy and just as delicious!
- Flour: 00 Italian flour with 11% -11.5% protein (or in a pinch substitute King Arthur’s unbleached all-purpose flour with 11.7% protein). High-quality flour means better gnocchi. The goal is to use the least amount of flour as possible to keep gnocchi light and tender.
- Salt: I’ve used Himalayan salt, but any salt will do.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes (or Kennebec potatoes). They’re creamy (semi-waxy) with a good amount of starch and we think they’re tastier than russets.
- Frozen Spinach (sub fresh): I’ve used frozen puréed spinach for this recipe which we easily find here in Italy, but I also use regular frozen spinach. Use what you can find. When making large bulk gnocchi batches, I process the frozen spinach in a food processor or blender, but when making a half or regular batch I just mince the spinach using a chef’s knife.
- Egg yolk: I’ve used a single large egg yolk for a little extra fat and flavor. Using eggs in potato gnocchi is the way we make gnocchi here in the Veneto, although in some other regions across Italy, eggs and egg yolks are not used at all. In fact, for a no-egg spinach gnocchi, you could simply omit the egg yolk in this recipe.
*I use gram measurements when making gnocchi because it’s more consistent, especially when there are already many variables out of your control (i.e., moisture and starch levels in the potatoes and the flour absorption potential). And this recipe has never failed me! However, I’ve included approximate measuring cup equivalents for those of you without a scale.
Overview: How to Make Spinach Gnocchi in 6 Easy Steps
Here’s an overview of how to make Homemade Spinach Gnocchi (you can find the full recipe instructions in the recipe card).
- Cook the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a medium sauce pot and cover with water and boil until fork tender (about 25 minutes). Remove the peels while they’re still hot.
- Make the dough: Mix the flour and salt together, add riced (or grated) potatoes and spinach, and stir until it looks crumbly. Add the egg yolk and stir just to incorporate it.
- Form the dough: Using your hands (and the technique outlined in the full recipe), bring the dough together to form a log and divide it into 4 smaller equal-size logs.
- Let the dough rest: Place the logs under the mixing bowl and allow them to rest for 30 minutes to let the dough relax.
- Cut the gnocchi: Working with one log at a time, roll the logs into long ropes and cut them into gnocchi or gnocchetti using a floured bench scraper or knife. Roll each gnocchi over a gnocchi board, cheese grater, or the tines of a fork while applying gentle pressure to make indentions in the dough.
- Cook or freeze the gnocchi: Cook the gnocchi in a pot of boiling salted water or homemade broth just until they float to the top. You may also freeze them uncovered on the baking tray. After they are frozen solid, drop them into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Fold (Knead) Gnocchi Dough
The below photos show you have to fold homemade gnocchi dough and then form it into a log just before letting it rest for 30 minutes. Folding instead of kneading the dough means you won’t overwork the gluten in the flour and end up with chewy or dense gnocchi. *I didn’t include the images for folding the spinach gnocchi dough below in the step-by-step photos, but this part is necessary no matter what kind of gnocchi you’re making.
Spinach Gnocchi Step-by-Step Recipe Photos
The Best Spinach Gnocchi Sauce
Are you looking for a good gnocchi sauce? Bolognese sauce makes the best winter gnocchi — it’s like a big warm bear hug! But there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian gnocchi sauce options that taste just as good. Whether you’re looking for something light or stick-to-your-ribs creamy, we’ve got a sauce for you. Below are a few of our favorite sauces we think you may enjoy!
- Authentic Ragù alla Bolognese (Bolognese Ragù Sauce)
- Simple Italian Pomodoro Sauce (Sugo di Pomodoro)
- The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Beef (Spaghetti con Ragù)
- Northern Italian Beef Ragù
- Italian Duck Ragù (Ragù d’Anatra)
- Creamy Alfredo sauce
- Simple Shrimp and Tomato Sauce
- Spicy Tomato-Alfredo Sauce
Best Gnocchi Recipes
We love gnocchi for its delicious texture and taste and also because it’s one of the easiest authentic Italian recipes you’ll ever make. I’ll be adding all of our favorite gnocchi recipes here soon and updating this list with pumpkin gnocchi, creamy spicy sausage gnocchi, and more, but classic gnocchi is a great place to start.
- Toothsome Italian Potato Gnocchi (With Video)
- Whole Wheat Gnocchi (recipe coming soon)
- Gnocchi Bolognese (100% Homemade and So Easy)
Let’s get started!
Spinach Gnocchi From Scratch (Only 15-Minutes Hands-On)
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Spinach Gnocchi is a delicious healthy twist on my classic potato gnocchi recipe and it’s just as easy to make! Fluffy as pillows, these bright green tender little dumplings pair with any gnocchi sauce you can think of from the ultra creamy to the super meaty. Skip the store-bought stuff because this tastes way better and it can be made in less time than it probably takes you to make that trip! And with just 4 ingredients (+salt) you probably already have everything on hand to make it.
Ingredients
- 200g Italian 00 Flour with 11% -11.5% protein (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) (sub King Arthur’s unbleached all-purpose flour)
- 500g Yukon Gold Potatoes (1 pound) (sub Kennebec potatoes) *potatoes measured before cooking or peeling
- 90g spinach, puréed or finely minced (1/2 cup)
- 1 large egg yolk (from a large egg)
- 3g sea salt (1 teaspoon)
*I prefer to use gram measurements for consistency and best results but feel free to use measuring cups as long as you the ‘scoop and level’ method to measure your flour. Also, you may need to use just a little more or less flour depending on what type you use.
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a medium sauce pot cover with about 2 inches of water and add salt to taste. Bring the pot to a boil and cook until fork tender (about 25 minutes). Strain the potatoes and use a fork to hold each potato steady while you use a knife or a spoon to scrape off the skins while they’re still hot. Discard the peels, or use them to make homemade broth. *Alternatively, you may bake the potatoes until fork tender (about 1 hour at 400°F/205°C) if desired.
- Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl or on a countertop, mix the flour and salt together using your hand and make a well in the middle. Rice or grate the potatoes into the well while the potatoes are still hot to very warm (you’ll see steam coming off of them), add the spinach, and stir everything together using a fork until mostly combined and crumbly looking. Add the egg yolk, stir just to incorporate it, and then bring the dough together using your hands.
- Form the dough: Place the dough onto a non-stick baking mat (or a lightly floured work surface) and press it down slightly to form a larger rectangle. Fold the dough like a letter bringing in both sides to the middle. Flatten it once more and then fold in the opposite sides like a letter. Pinch the dough together and using your hands gently roll it into a 16-inch log. Divide it into 4 smaller logs (each about 4 inches long) using a floured bench scraper. The dough will still be warm at this point and feel like a cross between pasta dough and mashed potatoes (sturdy, but soft).
- Let the dough rest: Place the upside-down mixing bowl over the tops of the logs to cover them and allow them to rest for 30 minutes to let the dough relax.
- Cut the gnocchi: Working with one log at a time, roll the logs into long ropes and cut them into gnocchi or gnocchetti using a floured bench scraper or knife. Roll each gnocchi over a gnocchi board, cheese grater, or the tines of a fork while applying gentle pressure to make indentions in the dough or if the dough is really soft, just use a fork to make imprints on the tops. Place the gnocchi onto a lightly floured parchment-lined baking pan leaving space in between each and repeat with the remaining dough. *Alternatively, you can simply cut the gnocchi and press an indention into them using your thumb if you don’t want to make the ‘rigate’ or ridges.
- Cook the gnocchi: Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water or homemade broth just until they float to the top (or about 3 to 4 minutes) or freeze them for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you’re not working on a non-stick baking mat, you may need to add a little flour as you begin to roll the dough into a log. Only add just enough to keep it from sticking to the surface.
- Do not use bread flour to make gnocchi because it contains too much protein.
- Do not make spinach gnocchi in advance and refrigerate it. The dough is delicate and will start to dry out too much. Instead, to meal prep spinach gnocchi, freeze it (see instructions and details below).
- You may freeze raw spinach gnocchi uncovered on the baking tray (leaving room in between them so they don’t touch). Freeze for 30-45 minutes, or until frozen solid, then drop them into an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook directly from frozen (never thaw gnocchi first) in a pot of boiling salted water or broth (they’ll take a few minutes longer to cook than fresh gnocchi).
- Cook gnocchi in plenty of boiling water so they don’t stick together as they cook. Gently stir them frequently which also helps keep them from sticking together as they cook.
- Here are 5 easy ways to reheat leftover gnocchi:
- Emergency: Place it in a microwave-safe bowl and cook it for 30 seconds to 45 seconds, or until heated through (method not recommended, but sometimes you need gnocchi fast:).
- Skillet: Place gnocchi (with or without sauce) in a skillet with a little EVOO and toss cooking over medium-high heat for about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Boiling water or broth: This is the most common method for reheating gnocchi that doesn’t have a sauce. It’s easy and warms cold gnocchi beautifully. Just be sure to only leave the gnocchi in the water for a couple of minutes until warmed through so you don’t overcook them.
- Oven Broiler Place the gnocchi in a cast iron skillet or other broiler-safe dish and heat the gnocchi with a little olive oil or sauce under a preheated broiler for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Regular Oven: Place gnocchi in a baking dish with sauce covered loosely with foil and add it to a preheated 375°F/190°C for about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Dough Resting Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: Italian
- Method: Mix & Stir
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
