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Spinach and Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Bake

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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, just like I have done with this recipe.

Spinach and Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Bake 4

Another Italian recipe? You betcha! When I did a little survey on Facebook recently and asked what type of recipes you wanted to see more of, Italian recipes were in the top 3. You ask and you shall receive. Well, not everything, don’t be sending me requests for cash or anything, as you know all my money goes on my avocado habit.

If you want to be kept up to date on my new healthy and delicious recipes like this, then please subscribe to the blog mailing list (it takes 30 seconds) and you will get sent the new recipes straight to your inbox. Your email address won’t be passed on to anyone and you will never be spammed. Click here to sign up 

Spinach and Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Bake 2

I seem to be confessing a lot to you guys recently, what can I say, I guess I just feel comfortable with you all. But I only tried gnocchi for the first time last year. It was actually Dave that got me to try it, as I was convinced by the idea. I was thinking, potatoes and flour? Made in to little balls and cooked like pasta? That seemed odd! But then I thought….potatoes AND flour, cooked just like pasta? Yes please! What’s not to like about potato and flour together.

We have tried making our own, and I will have a recipe for that coming soon, but you can also get some really great store bought ones and they cook in under 5 minutes. Since trying it for the first time, I think we have eaten it almost weekly. So, thanks Dave for introducing it to me. It can be payback for me introducing you to Nutella 😉

Spinach and Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Bake 1

The simplicity of the gnocchi means that I didn’t want to over complicate it when it came to the sauce, so I turned to a trusty jar of Cirio passata. As I shared with you all in my Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce recipe, I am going to be working with Cirio over the year to show you all the different ways that you can use their tomato products.

I think that when it comes to kitchen staples like passata and tinned tomatoes, that quality is so important and with Cirio you get the best quality due to the amount of care they take when making their products – they pick the tomatoes when they are at their ripest so you get the best flavour. If you want to eat like an Italian, choose Cirio!

Spinach and Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Bake 5

You don’t have to put cheese on this, and you could just keep it totally vegan, however I think a little bit of mozzarella on this goes a long way. What can I say, I am a cheese fan! I am also a basil fan and I love how my hands smell of basil for hours after I have used it in a recipe. It’s like a herby perfume. Okay, that might be a little weird.

Spinach and Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Bake 3

If you have a comfort food craving, throw this in the oven and have a very happy belly in under 30 minutes!

Ingredients – Serves 4:

– 500g pack of Gnocchi

– 1 onion, diced

– 10 shiitake mushrooms, diced

– 3 garlic cloves, crushed

– 4 handfuls of spinach

– 8 basil leaves, chopped

– Half a jar (340g) of Cirio Passata

– 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste

– A pinch of sea salt and black pepper

– 40g shredded mozzarella (optional)

1) Add the gnocchi to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2) Heat a little oil in a large pan and add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and sweat for 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for a further minute.

3) Add the cooked gnocchi to the onion mix along with the passata, sundried potato paste, basil and salt and pepper and mix well. Pour in to a oven-proof dish and sprinkle with cheese if using.

4) Put in a preheated oven at 190C and cook for 20 minutes.

Nutritional Information – Per person:

Calories: 369

Fat: 4

Carbs: 71

Protein: 18

Fibre: 12

Weight Watchers SmartPoints: 7

Spinach and Sundried Tomato Gnocchi Bake 6

Let’s stay in touch!

You can find me on Facebook at Hungry Healthy Happy, on Instagram at @hungryhealthyhappy, on Twitter at @HHH_Dannii or on Pinterest at hhhdannii or you can subscribe via email.

**This recipe was commissioned by Cirio, however all opinions are my own**

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Comments

  4. 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. Gone ahead and pinned this! Would be great to make after a long day at college and it looks to be no fuss and that’s the best part!

    Reply

  13. Gnocchi is such a great comfort food, whether homemade (I like to make it with spinach and wild garlic) or bought. Your tomatoey recipe is very enticing. I could do with a nice plate of it right now.

    Reply

  36. Yay!! Italian food on the top 3!! And fab that you are enjoying gnocchi.
    My grandma taught me to make them and if you enjoyed these ones you will absolutely love homemade ones. It is a melt in your mouth experience.
    As always lovely recipe Dannii and I forgot..congrats on your new Cirio collaboration 🙂 A really good Italian brand.

    Reply

  39. I never used to k now what gnocchi was. I remember having it once and being like, “is it pasta?? What the hell??” it kind of blew my mind. I much prefer it to pasta as I feel you get so much more flavour and bite to it. And sundried tomato paste…ahh heaven!

    Reply

  47. Spinach and sun dried tomatoes are two of my favourite things so I bet this works so well. I totally agree about getting good quality ingredients so I will keep an eye out for these Cirio products.

    Reply

  48. Oh my! I love gnocchi so much but I’ve never thought of making a bake with it. This looks soooooo good – can’t wait to try it out.

    Reply

  50. I’ve only eaten gnocchi once as well. We tried making a sweet potato version.
    Cheesy pasta bakes are always a big hit over here!

    Reply

  54. We haven’t tried gnocchi before, as I thought it was more like casserole dumplings. I will be trying this soon though. Thanks Dannii xx

    Reply

  57. These is so much awesomeness about this post that I don’t even know where to start, Dannii! First, Italian food = win. But gnocchi! I had gnocchi the very first time I traveled to Italy, and it has been a favorite ever since. I tried making gnocchi at home, and it was decent…but always lumpy. I learned that a potato ricer is the key to making the fluffy gnocchi like you get at restaurants. Anyways, I need this recipe today for sure. It sounds like a great way to start the week!

    Reply

    • We always have a few packs in the cupboard (although with lots of Cirio products) to make a quick and easy weeknight meal.

      Reply

  62. I love all the quick recipes you post Dannii. I’m a 3rd year student and I don’t have a lot of time, but j am trying to lose weight.

    Reply

  63. I stocked up on Cirio products after your last post, so I am looking forward to seeing what else you make with them. I am adding this to the list of things to make.

    Reply

  64. Gnocchi is either hit or miss with me. Some places make it not al dente enough, which makes it kind of soggy. But when they get it right, it’s soooo good. And yours looks absolutely perfect! Plus, what could be better than putting in sun dried tomatoes?

    Reply

  68. My 1st experience with gnocchi was a disaster, a pan full of floury potato mush. I have not mustered the courage to retry. Waiting for your recipe to give me courage to make gnocchi at home again.

    Reply

    • I think if you buy the cheap stuff, it’s a bit crap. It pays to get good quality products, like with the Cirio tomatoes too!

      Reply

  70. I’ve never had gnocchi before, but I did actually see it in asda the other day and I wondered what it is. I would like to see a homemade version for it.

    Reply