Fresh Gnocchi with Spinach Chardonnay Red Sauce

Hearty and fresh

Here it is, dare I say, my favorite meal. I love my own cooking a lot so that’s saying something haha! Like the title says - this is so hearty and filling, yet it feels fresh at the same time because 1. It’s fully homemade and 2. It’s got so much veggie potential.

These gnocchi are quite rustic and they have a perfect bite to them. They’re not the light fluffy gnocchi you get in a lot of recipes. They’re even better, in my opinion. And the sauce. Oh my gosh. It’s not your standard ol’ spaghetti red sauce. The chardonnay really gives it such a depth of flavor and it’s ever so slightly creamy.

You’re gonna love it!

When I have the freezer space, I like to prep loads of the gnocchi in advance to make this a super quick and easy meal whenever I feel like having it…which is very often because it’s so good lol. The gnocchi recipe can be used with other sauces, as well. You can boil it, boil and sauté it, or just sauté it like I do with this recipe. It’s up to you to decide on the texture you’re after!

Ingredients:

Gnocchi

• 2 cups mashed potatoes - any kind will work

• 2 cups flour (use cassava flour for a gluten-free version)

• 1 egg (to make it vegan, you can sub olive oil or something similar to help bind the dough)

Chardonnay Red Sauce

• 8-10 fresh tomatoes, finely diced (I use medium-sized romas - you can also use canned diced tomatoes if you’re in a hurry)

• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 shallot, finely diced

• Olive oil

• 1 cup white wine (I use chardonnay, usually just Winking Owl from Aldi because it’s cheap and works well)

• 4 tbsp butter (or vegan alternative)

• A handful of parmesan, I prefer shaved parm but you can use shredded (measure this with your heart, you can omit or sub this to make it vegan)

• A couple handfuls of spinach (or any other veg), as much as you prefer

• 1/2 c heavy whipping cream (for vegan, you can try coconut cream and a pinch of baking soda, but I haven’t tested this out yet. That’s my standard heavy cream replacement for soups & sauces, though! Let me know if it’s yummy!)

• Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning

Instructions:

Gnocchi

Step 01:

Combine the mashed potatoes & egg, use a potato masher or something similar to get these combined. Add your flour, mix together, and make one big dough ball.

Step 02:

Lightly flour a flat surface, grab a small chunk of dough and roll it out into a long snake with your hands/fingertips. It should be roughly as thick as your thumb - doesn’t need to be perfect.

Step 03:

Cut your gnocchi roll into inch long nuggets. Set them aside & try to keep them from touching because they’ll stick together. Alternatively, fill up one tray/plate of them and pop it into the freezer while you work on the rest.

Step 04:

Heat 1-2 tbsp butter or oil in a large skillet on medium heat.

Step 05:

Plop your gnocchi in there and let them cook for a moment, then turn them over. After a couple mins you should be able to do the fancy pan trick where ya flip em all at once! If some stick together, just separate them with a fork/spatula. They should take about 10 mins to cook. You want the outside to be golden brown & the inside should not feel too doughy. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper, and give them another good toss. Taste test!

If I have time, I like to make my gnocchi a day ahead. OR you can prep a bunch of these guys and freeze them in batches, which will make cooking this dish so fast and easy. Either way, they’re easier to deal with when mostly frozen. If starting from frozen gnocchi, just take them out 15-20 minutes before cooking.

Chardonnay Red Sauce

Step 01:

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add shallot and cook until fragrant. Add a pinch of salt & pepper. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes, until golden.

Step 02:

Add your tomatoes, and all your seasonings (you may have to add more later on, until it tastes “just right”). For seasonings, I use a hefty bit of salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, a light sprinkle of red pepper flakes, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, you may want to add a pinch of sugar, too. Let this tomato sauce simmer for 10 minutes or so, until they’re broken down a bit. You can cover the skillet with a lid if you’d like to speed it up. Add in your half-stick of butter & get it melting.

Step 03:

Add in the white wine, bring it to a simmer again, and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes, until it thickens up a bit.

Step 04:

Sprinkle in your parmesan, spinach, and pour in the heavy cream. Stir until the heavy cream is incorporated, the spinach begins to wilt, and the cheese starts to get melty. If you need additional liquid, you can add in a splash of water or veggie broth.

Step 05:

Spoon a boatload of the sauce over your sautéed gnocchi in a bowl or pasta plate, add extra spinach or parmesan on top if you desire, and enjoy!

This rustic pasta is seriously my favorite thing I make for dinner. I’m nearly drooling as I write this. As always, I try to make it super versatile. Make it vegan, GF, add your own veggie twist. Use sweet potatoes. You do you!

Do you have any questions?

As always, I encourage you to send me a message on my Instagram account (@calicocowacres) if you have any recipe questions or need advice while making it. I want my recipes to be something you can adapt and make your own - and I’m happy to help you do it!