Casanova Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi Au Gratin

Why Casanova? Casanova is the restaurant in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California where I first had this dish — and it blew me away. I knew I had to recreate it at home and I think I got this recipe right. Creamy sauce, pillowy soft gnocchi, savory thyme, and rich Parmesan cheese, its the perfect first course (or cozy fall dinner). Its easy to make and even easier to eat. The hardest part? Waiting for the gnocchi to cool when they come out of the oven. Anytime you want to be transported to Carmel, California for dinner, give this Casanova Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi Au Gratin a try.

These pillowy-light gnocchi are drowned in a creamy parmesan sauce. And let me tell you, this sauce? Its lick-off-the-plate-good. Plus, it creates a perfectly cheesy and bubbly swirl around the gnocchi as they come out of the oven.

An extra benefit to this recipe is how much heathy spinach it uses! The gnocchi dough comes together to form a beautiful green color and the final gnocchi are the perfect color pop against the creamy white sauce.

You won’t be disappointed! If you loved this Casanova Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi Au Gratin, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pics #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.

Spinach Gnocchi Au Gratin

Pillowy gnocchi, bubbly cheese, and a silky smooth cream sauce come together in this homemade take on a California experience.

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Prep Time 40 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb fresh baby spinach
• ⅔ cup high quality, whole milk ricotta
• 1 ¼ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• extra-virgin olive oil

Au Gratin Sauce

• 2 ½ cups half and half
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (2-3 sprigs thyme)
• 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

Au Gratin Sauce

• Heat the half-and-half, garlic, and thyme sprigs in a saucepan over medium heat. Warm through until bubbles begin to form around the edges, being sure not to scorch the bottom.
• Stir in 1 ½ cups Parmesan and season generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue to stir over the heat until the cheese begins to melt and the sauce becomes smooth.
• Remove from heat. Save the remaining ½ cup cheese to sprinkle before baking.

Spinach Gnocchi Au Gratin

• Blanch the spinach in a large pot of boiling water until just wilted, 4 minutes, or steam the spinach in the microwave, 2-3 minutes. Drain, let cool, and lightly press out any excess water with paper towels.
• Finely chop the spinach or pulse in a food processor until chopped but not overly pureed.
• In a large bowl, mix the spinach with the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, beaten egg, nutmeg, lemon zest, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper, until combined.
• Use parchment paper or aluminum foil to line a baking sheet.
• Fill a shallow bowl with the all-purpose flour. Roll about 1 tablespoon of the spinach mixture in the flour to form a 2-inch ball (You want these to be larger than traditional gnocchi).
• Transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat until all of the gnocchi “dough” is used.
• *Make Ahead Tip: At this point, the gnocchi can be placed in the freezer for 4 hours, then placed into a sealed bag or container and frozen until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lightly oil a baking dish for the gratin, and cover the bottom with a few tablespoons of the au gratin sauce.
• In batches of 8 to 10, simmer the gnocchi until they float, then simmer 1 minute more before lifting with a slotted spoon and placing them in the baking dish. If you are cooking these from frozen, they will take 2-3 minutes longer before floating.
• When the baking dish is full, cover the gnocchi with the Parmigiano-Reggiano gratin sauce, and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top. Bake the gnocchi until the sauce is bubbling (15-20 minutes). If desired, broil the top for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese.
• Serve with a sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper.

Keyword parmesan spinach gnocchi au gratin