Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Creamy Spinach Sauce
This Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Creamy Spinach Sauce features golden crispy gnocchi in a rich dairy-free cream sauce. Ready in 35 minutes — an easy vegan dinner everyone will love!
Servings: 4
Calories: 387kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 16 ounces shelf-stable packaged gnocchi
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flackes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk almond, oat, cashew, or light coconut milk
- 8 ounces frozen spinach
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- juice of ½ lemon or to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the gnocchi and spread it out into one even layer. Cook, stirring occasionally (about every 2 minutes), until it's golden brown on all sides, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the gnocchi to a bowl or plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the butter. Stir to incorporate until melted. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the onion mixture. Stir until no white flour remains visible, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add the non-dairy milk, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
- Add the frozen spinach and nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Increase the heat to bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break up any clumps of spinach as it's simmering.
- Return the gnocchi to the skillet, add the lemon juice, and stir until it is completely coated in the creamy spinach sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Pan-fry, don't boil. Pan-frying gives you golden, crispy edges and a pillowy interior. Boiling gives you gluey, soft gnocchi all the way through. The extra few minutes are absolutely worth it.
Don't crowd the pan. Spread the gnocchi out in one single even layer with space between each piece. Crowding causes steaming rather than browning.
Don't stir too often. Let the gnocchi sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes between stirs to develop those gorgeous golden edges.
Whisk the milk in slowly. Adding the non-dairy milk too quickly can cause lumps in the roux. Pour it in slowly in a thin, steady stream while whisking continuously for the smoothest possible sauce.
Break up the spinach as it simmers. Frozen spinach can clump — use a wooden spoon or spatula to break it apart as the sauce cooks.
Taste and adjust at the end. The lemon juice at the final step makes a significant difference — add it gradually and taste as you go. You may also want a pinch more salt or a little extra nutritional yeast.
Serve immediately. This dish is best eaten right away while the gnocchi is still crispy and the sauce is at its sauciest. The gnocchi will soften and the sauce will thicken as it sits.
Nutrition
Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 812mg | Potassium: 522mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 19g