Spinach artichoke gnocchi combines the delicious flavors and textures of creamy spinach artichoke dip with crisp, pillowy gnocchi! This easy 1-pan meal is packed with protein and veggies! (gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free options)

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: dinner, Main, Main Course
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Cream Sauce

  • 4 ounces firm or silken tofu
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews (or a mix of cashews and hemp seeds)
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mustard (or ½ teaspoon prepared natural mustard)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon miso ((use chickpea miso for soyfree))
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil (or a mix of basil and oregano)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water (or stock)

For the Gnocchi

  • 3 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
  • 5 cloves garlic (minced)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup chopped red or white onion
  • 8 ounces refrigerated potato gnocchi
  • 7 ounces marinated artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
  • 5 ounces baby spinach (or chopped spinach)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons vegan mozzarella (optional)
  • fresh basil (torn, for topping, as needed)
  • red pepper flakes (for topping)

Method

Make the cream sauce.

  1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend for 1 minute. Let that sit for about 5 minutes to rehydrate the cashews or seeds. Then blend again for 30 seconds. If the mixture isn’t smooth yet, blend for another 30 seconds. Set the cream sauce aside.

Make the spinach artichoke gnocchi.

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and mix in the minced garlic. Stir for 10–15 seconds, then mix in the red pepper flakes and mix. Next, add the chopped onion and a generous dash of salt. Increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until the onions are translucent. (Total 6 mins). You can add a splash of water around the 3 minute mark to help the onions brown and cook evenly.
  2. Once the onions are translucent, add the gnocchi and the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes until the gnocchi starts turning toasty and golden. Fold the artichokes and cream sauce into the skillet and mix well. Rinse out the blender with about ½ cup of water, then pour that into the skillet. Mix everything well, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil, 3-4 mins, then mix in the spinach. It might not all fit at once, so add as much as you can and cover the skillet with a lid. Let the spinach steam and wilt for a minute or two, then open the lid and fold it into the sauce.
  4. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more salt or tang, if needed. Adjust consistency, add more water or stock for thinner sauce if needed or to make it a creamy soup. Top the creamy gnocchi with vegan mozzarella and fresh basil. Cover the skillet again and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the mozzarella melts. If your skillet is oven-safe, you can also place it under the broiler for a minute or so to melt and slightly brown the cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and pepper flakes. Serve creamy and hot with a side of side salad or crisp garlic bread.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.