Creamy One Pan Spinach Gnocchi (20-Minute Vegan Dinner) Recipe
This Creamy One Pan Spinach Gnocchi is a quick and delicious 20-minute vegan dinner that combines tender gnocchi with a rich coconut cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach. A perfect comforting meal that’s simple to prepare and packed with flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp vegan butter (or regular butter)
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced or sliced
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 1 cup coconut cream (or 1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk)
- 2 tbsp vegan cream cheese (or regular cream cheese)
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped, oil packed
- 1 lb gnocchi
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan (or regular parmesan), finely grated
- 1–2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the base. Warm olive oil and vegan butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and minced garlic, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the onion is softened and the mixture is fragrant.
- Make the creamy sauce. Pour in the coconut cream or coconut milk, whisking in the cream cheese until the sauce is smooth. If using coconut milk, allow it to simmer gently for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in chopped sun dried tomatoes, grated parmesan or nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and a pinch of salt to combine flavors.
- Cook the gnocchi. Add the gnocchi to the skillet and stir well to coat them in the sauce. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the gnocchi are tender and the sauce has a silky texture. If the sauce becomes too thick, add small splashes of water or vegetable broth as needed. If too loose, let the sauce simmer uncovered to thicken.
- Incorporate the spinach. Stir in the roughly chopped baby spinach until it wilts into the sauce. Mix in lemon juice if using, then taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or heat as desired.
- Serve. Dish out the creamy spinach gnocchi onto plates, drizzling with a little of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes for extra flavor. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use full fat coconut cream or milk for a rich, creamy texture.
- Adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding water or broth sparingly to avoid thinning it out too much.
- To keep the recipe vegan, use vegan butter, cream cheese, and nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan.
- Lemon juice is optional but adds a nice brightness to the dish.
- For a non-vegan version, substitute regular butter, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese as desired.
- Gnocchi can be store-bought or homemade. Adjust cooking time accordingly if using fresh gnocchi.
Keywords: cream gnocchi recipe, vegan dinner, spinach gnocchi, one pan meal, 20-minute dinner, coconut cream sauce, easy vegetarian gnocchi
