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When you want a comforting meal sometimes there’s just nothing better than a creamy pasta dish. This mushroom gnocchi Florentine brings together some delectably savory flavors into a rich and hearty meal.
This recipe starts with gnocchi- those soft, pillowy, potato pasta pieces. If you haven’t had gnocchi before then this is definitely your sign to try it. The flavor and texture isn’t very similar to all-wheat pasta, but it has a very neutral taste that goes with almost any type of sauce.
The sauce for this dish is a homemade béchamel that’s flavored with garlic, thyme, nutmeg, and black pepper. Despite being made from scratch, it doesn’t take long at all, and the result is both silky and rich.
Suspended in the sauce is generous amount of spinach, the reason for the name “Florentine” as this Italian vegetable was unknown in many parts of Europe before a royal marriage brought it to France (and beyond).
Of course this mushroom gnocchi has mushrooms in it as well. For this recipe we’re using baby bella, but you can substitute another type of mushroom if you prefer. I like the mushrooms with the darker color and richer flavor like bella and cremini, but since we’re sautéing to bring out the flavor any type of mushroom will become more intense in flavor.
After mixing everything together with some fresh mozzarella, the last step is to bake this dish until the top starts to become a toasty, golden brown color.
Each bite of this warming mushroom Florentine gnocchi has wonderful melted cheese and springy gnocchi. This is what comfort food is all about.
Mushroom Florentine Gnocchi
Yield(s): Serves 6-8
25m prep time
42m cook time
395 calories
Diet: Vegetarian
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 2 (16 oz) packages potato gnocchi
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed or torn
Preparation
- Cook gnocchi to package directions. Drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. In large skillet heat melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Whisk in flour and cook until flour is cooked, 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in milk slowly and cook until sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and spinach. Stir in spinach, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, mozzarella, and gnocchi.
- Pour mixture into greased 8”x8” (or other 2-quart baking dish) and top with remaining parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese begins to brown around the edges.
Recipe adapted from The Beach House Kitchen.