Those homemade ricotta gnocchi I shared the other day were turned into this absolutely decadent Baked Gnocchi with Fontina & Spinach. This is the kind of dish you’d find in an GREAT Italian restaurant but you can totally make right at home! Creamy, cheesy, perfection!
I don’t think I can truly express how much my family enjoyed this meal. From start to finish this is a special, handmade, comforting Italian meal that you could absolutely serve in a great authentic Italian restaurant! The ricotta gnocchi are homemade and absolutely perfect pillow to absorb all the goodness of this dish.
I will start by saying you can of course buy store bought gnocchi and make this dish but if you’ve got some time to play around, these homemade ricotta gnocchi are absolutely worth the time to make! They are lighter then store bought and I find that a lot of the store bough gnocchi overcook quickly and become gummy. These are perfect pillows with great texture and hold together wonderfully for this Baked Gnocchi with Fontina & Spinach.
I made the gnocchi the day before making this dish, simply tossing in flour, laid in a single layer on a sheet pan, covered in a kitchen towel and into the fridge. I cook the gnocchi for about 4 minutes in a big pot of salted boiling water then remove them and place them back on the sheet pan while I prepare the gooey, cheesy, decadent sauce.
I start by just sautéing spinach with garlic and oil. Set that aside then get started on the sauciness. The sauce starts with a simple roux- butter and flour. The liquids are half & half and some reserved pasta cooking water {great starch and saltiness}. In goes the fontina, which is a great melting cheese and is flavorful yet mild. Toss everything together and into some baking dishes. Topped with bread crumb and pecorino and baked until golden and bubbly.
- about 2 lbs fresh gnocchi
- olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chop
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 2 cups half & half
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water that the gnocchi cooked in
- 1/2 lb fontina cheese block, cut into squares
- 1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs + 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
- Preheat over to 425 degrees.
- Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of salted boiling water. Using a slotted spoon remove the gnocchi and place onto a sheet pan. Reserve 1 – 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water.
- In a large saute pan add in a Tbsp of olive oil and the garlic. Once the garlic is fragrant add in the spinach and cook until just wilted. Remove from the pan, drain extra liquid from the spinach and set aside.
- Add the butter to the pan. Once melted add in the flour and cook for a minute, whisking.
- Add in the half & half and pasta water, whisking to prevent lumps. Simmer for about 5 minutes then add in the fontina, whisking until melted and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the spinach and gnocchi. Toss to coat.
- Add the mix to a large baking dish or individual sized baking dishes {I did both}. Sprinkle the bread crumb cheese mixture overtop.
- Place onto a baking sheet incase of overflow. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Serve this Baked Gnocchi with:
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