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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Italian

    Spinach and Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Bake

    Published: Mar 12, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 72 Comments

    541 shares
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    Jump to Recipe
    Spinach and tomato gnocchi bake with a text title overlay.

    Comfort food doesn't get much easier than this Spinach and Tomato Gnocchi Bake. Light and pillowy gnocchi in a rich tomato based sauce with leafy greens and a cheesy top. It's family friendly comfort food with a healthy twist. A fuss-free one pan carb loaded dinner that is easy to adapt and ready in under 30 minutes.

    A baking dish full of cheesy gnocchi bake with a spoon in it.

    A comforting baked Italian dish doesn't have to involve pasta. Why not try swapping the pasta and using gnocchi instead?

    Jump to:
    • Why should you try it?
    • What you will need
    • Step by step
    • What is gnocchi?
    • How to adapt it
    • What to serve it with
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More Italian recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why should you try it?

    • Total comfort food
    • An easy way to use gnocchi
    • All cooked in one pan
    • Easy to adapt

    What you will need

    • Gnocchi - We used a good quality store bought gnocchi to save some time. However if you have a little extra time, then you could make your own. Why not try our Leftover Mashed Potato Gnocchi.
    • Spinach - A great way to add a green boost to this dish. You could use chopped up kale instead.
    • Sun-dried tomatoes - This adds a really intense tomato flavour to the dish. Add a little splash of the oil from the jar for more of a flavour boost.
    • Onion - You can save yourself some time and use frozen. You can also swap it for shallots if you want a sweeter flavour.
    • Garlic - Fresh is always best, but you could save yourself some time and use frozen garlic, or chopped garlic in a jar.
    • Passata - This is pureed and strained tomatoes and it is where all the sauce comes from. Try to use the best quality passata that you can afford, as you will really be able to taste the difference. A great passata will be really watery and you won't get the same rich sauce, as this sauce doesn't cook for very long, so it doesn't have time to reduce. You can swap it fo a can of chopped tomatoes if you prefer.
    • Creme fraiche - This gives the dish a little creaminess and helps to thicken it up. You could leave it out.
    • Basil - The perfect herb to go with a tomato based dish.
    • Parmesan - If you want to make this dish vegetarian, then use a vegetarian alternative to parmesan. If you want to make this vegan, you could just leave the cheese out.
    • Mozzarella - This super melty cheese just finishes the whole dish off. You could swap it for a mature cheddar if you prefer.
    All the ingredients needed for this recipe laid out on a wooden surface.

    Step by step

    One: Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Heat the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until softened.

    Chopped onions sautéing in a shallow pan.

    Two: Add the passata, basil, gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, creme fraiche and salt and pepper.

    Gnocchi, passata, onions, spinach and cream all cooking in a shallow pan.

    Three: Mix well and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

    Gnocchi and spinach cooking in a creamy tomato sauce.

    Four: Top with Parmesan and mozzarella.

    Gnocchi bake covered in grated Parmesan and chunks of mozzarella.

    Five: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Serve with more Parmesan and chopped basil.

    Cooked gnocchi bake covered in melted cheese.

    What is gnocchi?

    Gnocchi (pronounced NYOW-kee) are a type of Italian pasta, the most common of which is classic potato gnocchi (also known as Gnocchi di patate). They are made using cooked mashed potatoes (a great way to use leftovers), flour and eggs. Some gnocchi recipes add ricotta to the dough, and that does give it a richer flavour. 

    You can use it in all the same ways that you use other pasta, and it makes a nice change when you are bored of all the same pasta dishes.

    How to adapt it

    This is an easy dish to adapt, and you could swap in any vegetables that you have on hand. We used spinach because it cooks quickly, however you could sauté kale and use that instead. 

    Try to only use quick cooking veg, rather than root vegetables that would take longer. Bell peppers and courgettes work well in this, or you could fry some broccoli for an extra green boost. Artichokes go really well in it too. If you are making it for kids, then peas and sweetcorn are always a favourite.

    To make this a really quick and easy meal, we used store bought gnocchi in a packet. However, you could make your own gnocchi which is far easier to make than you might think. We will have a recipe for that soon.

    If you don't want tomato based sauce, and you would prefer a creamy one, then you could swap the creme fraiche, mustard and parmesan.

    Cheesy gnocchi bake with chopped herbs sprinkled over the top of it.

    What to serve it with

    Garlic bread of course! Gnocchi and garlic bread are such a delicious match. Either buy some ready made, or make your own easy garlic bread by cutting up some French stick and spreading it with a mix of butter, crushed garlic and dried herbs. Then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes.

    You could also keep it simple with a big green salad. The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too. Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette.

    A hand spooning some gnocchi bake out of a baking dish.

    FAQs

    Do I have to boil the gnocchi first?

    No, you do not to precook the gnocchi in this recipe, as it will all cook together in the sauce for an easy one pot meal.

    Can you add meat to gnocchi?

    This is an easy and delicious meat free meal, and it really does need any meat. However, if you wanted to add some then you could add some leftovers from a Roast Chicken or even some chopped up cooked sausages. You could also add some extra flavour with adding chopped bacon at the same time as the onion.

    How to store baked gnocchi.

    You can store leftover baked gnocchi in an air tight container in the fridge for around 4 days. You can either reheat it in a microwave or in a frying pan with a splash of stock to loosen it up a little, as the leftovers can be a little dry.
    We don't recommend freezing leftovers, as once it is defrosted, it tends to fall apart and become a bit mushy.

    Can I make this gluten free?

    Yes, you can easily make this gluten free. Just make sure to use gluten free gnocchi and make sure all the other ingredients that you are using are gluten free too.

    Can I make this with homemade gnocchi?

    We used store bought gnocchi to make this a super quick and easy meal, however you could use your favourite homemade gnocchi recipe for this too.

    Extra tips

    • If you wanted to add meat to this, then leftover shredded chicken or some chopped cooked bacon would work.
    • If adding other vegetables, make sure they are quick cooking softer vegetables.
    • You can use any cheese that melts well in this recipe.
    • Top it with some fresh herbs, extra cheese and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
    • A little bit of the starch water from the pan added to the sauce makes it lovely and silky, so don't drain all the water.
    • If you don't have gnocchi, you could make this recipe with any pasta sauce instead - it's a great pasta sauce. It's also a good sauce to pour over chicken or salmon too.

    More Italian recipes

    • Easy Bacon Pasta
    • BBQ Chicken Pizza
    • Italian Roasted Vegetables
    • Healthy Mac and Cheese
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    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓

    Recipe

    Spinach and Tomato Gnocchi Bake in a shallow baking dish.

    Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Gnocchi Bake

    A comforting Italian bake doesn't have to involve pasta. Try using gnocchi instead, packing it out with spinach and adding in some sundried tomato paste to give it an extra hit of flavour.
    4.93 from 103 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 419kcal
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    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 400 g Gnocchi
    • 1 teaspoon Olive oil
    • 1 Onion - diced
    • 2 Garlic clove - crushed
    • 350 g Passata
    • 50 g Spinach
    • 10 g Fresh basil - chopped (plus extra to serve)
    • 85 g Sun-dried tomatoes
    • 3 tablespoon Creme fraiche
    • 150 g Mozzarella - grated; optional
    • 50 5 Parmesan
    • 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
    • Heat the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until softened.
    • Add the passata, basil, gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, creme fraiche and salt and pepper.
    • Mix well and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
    • Top with Parmesan and mozzarella.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
    • Serve with more Parmesan and chopped basil.

    Notes

    • If you wanted to add meat to this, then leftover shredded chicken or some chopped cooked bacon would work.
    • If adding other vegetables, make sure they are quick cooking softer vegetables.
    • You can use any cheese that melts well in this recipe.
    • Top it with some fresh herbs, extra cheese and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
    • A little bit of the starch water from the pan added to the sauce makes it lovely and silky, so don't drain all the water.
    • If you don't have gnocchi, you could make this recipe with any pasta sauce instead - it's a great pasta sauce. It's also a good sauce to pour over chicken or salmon too.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 880mg | Potassium: 1275mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2343IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 432mg | Iron: 8mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Biana

      March 12, 2021 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      Gnocchi sounds amazing and this bake is so good with all the other ingredients! Will be making it soon.

      Reply
    2. Beth

      March 12, 2021 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness! My mouth is watering! This looks amazing and so tasty! I'm definitely making this tonight! Can't wait!

      Reply
    3. Beth Sachs

      March 12, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      This is the ultimate in comfort food. I wish I had a bowl of this right now! Looks delicious.

      Reply
    4. Michelle

      March 12, 2021 at 2:00 pm

      5 stars
      Mmmmm. Gnocchi is my favorite. I could eat this all day

      Reply
    5. Erica

      March 12, 2021 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      Anything gnocchi is just about an automatic win in my opinion! looks delicious.

      Reply
    6. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy

      April 18, 2016 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      I love gnocchi and have it on my "to make" list. Can't wait to try this out when I do.

      Reply
    7. Bec

      April 15, 2016 at 9:21 pm

      This looks lovely - I've never eaten gnocchi so I must try this. Love bec xx

      Reply
    8. Lucy Melissa Smith (Hello Beautiful Bear)

      February 27, 2016 at 10:09 pm

      5 stars
      Oooh this looks so delicious! Stunning photos as well :) X

      Reply
    9. Candace

      February 25, 2016 at 4:44 pm

      I really do love gnocchi but I'll be honest and say I've never made any myself. Thanks for this recipe as I'm going to give it a try as you have made it look so easy

      Reply
    10. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

      February 24, 2016 at 9:47 pm

      5 stars
      I would almost do anything to have a bowl of this right now Dannii.

      Reply
    11. Tracey bowden

      February 24, 2016 at 9:34 pm

      5 stars
      My daughter would like this, I'm not a fan of pasta but I'm in need of new ideas for her as she loves pasta dishes

      Reply
    12. Cassandra Mayers

      February 24, 2016 at 10:12 am

      5 stars
      My mouth started watering at the title lol,
      i have to make this! :)

      Reply
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    My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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