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