Weeknight Spinach Baked Gnocchi.
We all love this weeknight spinach baked gnocchi! It’s simple and easy to throw together, plus a huge crowd pleaser. Ground beef or turkey, marinara, fresh spinach and gnocchi topped with melty cheese. Yum!
We’re making Monday night dinner easy today!
This baked gnocchi is made with marinara sauce, ground beef or turkey, fresh spinach, mozzarella cheese and all the flavor.
Let’s just call it our comfort food of the week over here.
Like a big hug in a bowl, just when you need it.
This is a mash up of a few of my favorite weeknight recipes and it is too good not to share. I basically combine my cheesy skillet tortellini with my baked ravioli with spinach and my vodka sauce baked gnocchi.
All of those delicious meals have a part in this recipe today. And it could not be easier.
Plus, it checks all the boxes.
It’s a huge crowd pleaser.
It’s very simple to make.
And it appeals to almost all palates.
Winner all around here, I tell you.
This is how it comes together:
I start by browning some ground beef or turkey. Yes, we’re making a meaty marinara sauce. This meal ends up being SO incredibly satisfying.
Once that is cooked, I stir in the marinara. Then, I stir in the spinach!
It will look like a TON of spinach. Add it in small handfuls and let it wilt and cook down. It will cook down almost completely!
Stir in UNCOOKED gnocchi. Yep – no need to cook it. It will cook right in our sauce. Shelf stable or frozen gnocchi work. Whatever you have on hand!
Next, top it with sliced mozzarella and parmesan. All the cheese, please.
Finally, bake it up. It’s bubbly and warm and cheesy and melty, just like comfort food should be!
That’s it. See? Super easy. You may even have all the ingredients on hand, which is another reason it’s one of my favorite meals.
A big bowl of this served with a lovely fall salad. Oh yes.
Weeknight Spinach Baked Gnocchi
Weeknight Spinach Baked Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- kosher salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 28 ounces your favorite marinara
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 2 pounds uncooked gnocchi
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- fresh basil, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Heat a large (I like a 10 or 12 inch) oven-safe skillet over medium heat and brown the ground beef. Season it with a big pinch of salt, pepper and the basil and oregano. If I use beef, I rarely use oil or butter because the fat cooks out. If you use a very lean cut of meat, you can drizzle the pan with olive oil as needed. Break the meat apart until it is in small crumbles and browned. Stir in the garlic cloves.
- Stir in the marinara sauce and reduce the heat to low. Add the spinach and stir for a few minutes. It will look like a lot, but will eventually cook down!
- Stir in the uncooked gnocchi. Shelf stable or frozen works here.
- Top with the sliced mozzarella. Top with the parmesan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly and melty. If desired, flip on the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to get it extra bubble. Top with more parmesan and fresh basil and serve!
Did you make this recipe?
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I can’t get enough!
5 Comments on “Weeknight Spinach Baked Gnocchi.”
I made this tonight and it was incredible for such a simple recipe! I only used one pound of gnocchi which was fine for me. So good and bookmarked to definitely have again!
This was great and came together so quickly on a weeknight! Great time-saver not having to boil the gnocchi as well.
I made this last night for dinner and we loved it! I used half lean ground beef and have lean turkey (both were 93% lean). I also cooked an onion in the skillet first, before adding the meat. We used frozen gnocchi and I thought it was so cool how you don’t have to cook them first. It was such a delicious and easy recipe! Thank you!
Your recipe sounds great but we are not fans of gnocchi–what could I substitute?
So good! Cozy, delicious and easy!