Recipe: Gnocchi with Spinach and Mushrooms

When it comes to making a quick Italian-stlye dinner, nothing is better than pre-packaged gnocchi. These little pillows of potato heaven will please everyone you are feeding, and they are super versatile, shelf stable, and often inexpensive! Our favorite way to prepare gnocchi is with sauteed spinach and mushrooms. We cook the gnocchi ahead of time, and brown it in butter to make it slightly crispy and extra yummy. This might sound ambitious in a dorm kitchen, but we promise that it is doable and delicious!

Gnocchi doesn’t seem to be an ingredient college students usually reach for, but we cook with it all the time! It’s similar to pasta in the way you can use it as a base for different flavor palates: you can make gnocchi with tomato sauce and fresh basil, alfredo sauce and grated cheese, sauteed with different vegetables, or even roasted with tomatoes, peppers, and onions like this blogger did! Prepackaged gnocchi is fairly inexpensive – it usually costs less than $2/package. We’ve even found some on sale for $0.99! It’s a great pantry staple to have on hand, so stock up if you ever find a good deal!

Gnocchi with Spinach and Mushrooms (makes four servings)

Ingredients:

• Prepackaged gnocchi ($0.62/serving)
• Spinach (meal plan or $0.39/serving)
• Mushrooms (meal plan or $0.75/serving)
• Onion (meal plan or $0.23/serving)
• Olive oil ($0.20/serving) OR butter (vegan butter or regular) ($0.14/serving)
• Minced garlic ($0.03/serving)
• Herbs of your choice (we prefer an Italian herb blend)

Supplies:

• Skillet ($9.99)
• Large pot ($9.89)
• Strainer ($2.99)

Cook gnocchi according to package directions (this should take about 2-3 minutes in boiling water. You’ll know they’re done when they float to the top). In a skillet, saute the onion, garlic, herbs, and mushrooms in butter or olive oil until they are almost done (they should be pretty tender) then add the spinach. When the gnocchi is cooked, drain it and add it back to the pot with butter or olive oil and let it brown while the vegetables cook. Once all gnocchi have reached desired crispiness, toss the vegetable mix with the crispy gnocchi and the herb blend. Serve and enjoy!

❤ Juliana and Sarah