The Creamy Baked Gnocchi My Family Loves (It's Ready in 30 Minutes)

Baked pasta usually means ziti or spaghetti mixed with tomato sauce and baked with a layer of cheese. But there are no hard-and-fast rules with baked pasta and sometimes I like to change up everything about it. This spinach gnocchi gratin combines store-bought gnocchi for ease with a rich layer of creamed spinach.

My kids aren’t huge spinach fans, but they are huge gnocchi fans (they call them “pillow pasta”), so this dish was a good way to give them something familiar but also push some taste boundaries. This gnocchi gratin ends up being a wonderful, warming winter meal that is truly ready in under thirty minutes.

Buying and Cooking Premade Gnocchi

There’s no specific brand of gnocchi that I would recommend for this recipe, since any of the pre-made gnocchi in the pasta aisle will work perfectly. You do need a pound of the gnocchi for this recipe, so look for a package in that amount so you only have to buy one for the recipe.

I recommend pre-boiling the gnocchi before adding it to the gratin. If you don’t do this, the gratin will cook through, but it will be very dry. Pre-boiling the gnocchi adds some starchy pasta water to the gratin and the end result is much better. Luckily, gnocchi cooks very quickly and will boil in just a few minutes.

Making the Creamed Spinach

Building the creamy spinach base for this gratin is fairly straightforward. I recommend making it in an oven-safe skillet so you can transfer the whole thing to the oven for baking and don’t have to dirty another dish.

If the creamy spinach seems very dry, feel free to add more liquid to thin it out. It should have the consistency of a thin gravy. Remember that it will continue to thicken as it bakes with the gnocchi.

Tips for finishing this Gnocchi Gratin

Here are a few tips and tricks to make this gnocchi gratin really great!

• Add the gnocchi straight from the cooking water to the skillet using a slotted spoon. The cooking water clinging to the gnocchi helps bring the sauce together. If you drain the gnocchi completely and then add it, the gratin might be a bit dry.
• Don’t over-stir the gnocchi in the skillet once you add it. Just lightly fold it into the spinach mixture. If you over-mix it, the gnocchi will start to fall apart.
• Bake the gnocchi gratin just until it’s bubbling and lightly browned on top. Over-baking it will dry it out.

What To Serve With This Gratin

This is a rich, comforting dish and needs something bright and fresh on the side. I recommend serving it with a simple chopped salad or a very light soup. Since you have the oven on, garlic bread would be a good addition as well!

Substitutions and Additions

If you aren’t a fan of spinach, you can substitute other leafy greens like chard, kale, or even broccoli. If you use broccoli, blanch it first before adding it to the skillet. You can blanch it in the boiling water before cooking the gnocchi so you don’t have to dirty another dish.

If you want the gratin to be cheesier, stir in a few ounces of grated white cheddar or gouda cheese before baking.