This easy-to-make dish just melts in your mouth! Semolina Gnocchi are absolutely delicious, especially when paired with a creamy bechamel sauce and tangy roasted tomatoes. Make this next time you’re craving a satisfying and comforting vegetarian dinner!
One of the best things about this recipe is that the components can be made ahead of time, then heated and assembled right before eating. This is one of the best ways to do a weeknight dinner or a meal for entertaining because you can do the more time-consuming parts earlier in the day!
Bechamel Sauce
Bechamel is a classic French white sauce made from a roux and milk. When made well, it has a silky cream texture and can be used in other sauces or as a base for your favorite pastas. We made this version with whole milk and simple spices for a classic creamy sauce.
All About Semolina Flour
Semolina flour is a coarse flour made from the finest durum wheat. It’s high in protein and commonly used to make pasta from scratch, but it has countless other uses! You can find it in most grocery stores. If you buy semolina flour to make this recipe, you can also use it to make an Apple & Honey Semolina Cake or to make Sweet Semolina Borekas with Orange Blossom Syrup.
What is Semolina Gnocchi?
Semolina gnocchi are also called Gnocchi a la Romana, which is a baked dish made with round, flat gnocchis cooked in cheese and butter. Ours is a little different than traditional gnocchi a la Romana, we encourage you to give it a try!
How to Make Spinach Semolina Gnocchi
We cook semolina flour, milk, spinach, Parmesan, salt, and pepper on the stovetop before refrigerating it in a baking dish and cutting it into little squares.
The story behind these semolina a gnocchi
On a visit to Barcelona a few years ago I walked by one of my favorite restaurants growing up. I remembered always ordering the same thing there: spinach gnocchi in bechamel sauce. Gosh, I hadn't had those in so long! As soon as I got home I had to try to recreate the meal, just so my daughter could experience it. My version is almost as good as the dish I remember from my childhood and just right for a meatless Monday.
More Pasta Dinners We Love
- Pea & Artichoke Pasta
- High Protein Pasta Puttanesca
- One Pot Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pasta
- Mushroom and Veggie Sausage Pasta
- Edamame Pasta with Chimichurri Sauce
- Cheesy Passover Pesto Noodles
- Pasta with Chickpeas, Olives, and Cheese
Spinach Semolina Gnocchi
- Total Time: 90
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy-to-make dish just melts in your mouth! Semolina Gnocchi are absolutely delicious, especially when paired with a creamy bechamel sauce and tangy roasted tomatoes. Make this next time you’re craving a satisfying and comforting vegetarian dinner!
Ingredients
For the gnocchi
- 2 cups whole or low-fat milk
- 8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- ¾ cup semolina flour
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese ( plus some extra to sprinkle on top)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
For the oven-roasted tomatoes
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
For the Bechamel Sauce
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or butter
- 2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole or low-fat milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the gnocchi, heat the milk in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until small bubbles start to form at the edge of the saucepan
- Add the spinach, semolina, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it thickens, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Spread into a square 8x8 baking dish and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes
- To prepare the oven roasted tomatoes, preheat the oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the tomatoes on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll the tomatoes around until they're well coated with the oil and bake for 20 minutes
- To prepare the bechamel sauce, heat the olive oil or melted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour, whisking constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken and it darkens a bit in color
- Add the milk, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking constantly until it thickens (you;ll know it's ready when it coats the back of a spoon)
- When ready to serve, cut the semolina mixture into small squares and warm them up in a pan or the microwave
- To assemble the dish, spread the hot bechamel sauce on the bottom of the serving dish, place warmed spinach gnocchi and roasted tomatoes on top
- Prep Time: 10
- Setting in refrigetator: 45
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Entree
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 8 gnocchi with sauce and tomatoes
- Calories: 243
- Sugar: 8.9
- Sodium: 462
- Fat: 10.1
- Saturated Fat: 2.7
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.8
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 2.5
- Protein: 11.3
- Cholesterol: 10.3
DID YOU LIKE OUR SPINACH SEMOLINA GNOCCHI?
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
This post was originally published on January 30, 2014. We have updated the post with new pictures and more useful information.
stephanie
i love love love gnocchi, and this is such a great adaptation!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you! They're definitely lighter than potato gnocchi. And a great way to get your daily dose of greens 🙂
jessica // the kosher foodies
I love trying to recreate childhood dishes. this one looks amazing!
Vicky & Ruth
Thanks!! Absolutely. One of our favorite things to do!
Ronnie Fein
I am on vacation now and know exactly what you mean. I am in South Asia and yesterday it was almost 100 degrees in Colombo. It will be very hard to get back to reality. The gnocchi look great. Have to start cooking again soon.
Vicky & Ruth
Oh my goodness. You're melting and we're freezing!! Hope you enjoy your trip!
Hindy
I love this break from the traditional potato gnocchi! This looks amazing - both elegant and comforting at the same time! I need to make this soon!
Vicky & Ruth
Yes, definitely comforting! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Mary Frances
Oh, don't I know it! Vacations are great until you have to go home 😉 This would comfort me though; spinach and cheese always make my day!
Vicky & Ruth
Absolutely!! Who doesn't like the combination of spinach and cheese??? 😉
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs
Glad to know you had such a fantastic trip! But it's a pity that the restaurant closed down :--( Anyway, this dish looks so delicious! I'm sure it is just as good (if not better!) than the original.
Vicky & Ruth
Yes, definitely sad to see it was closed 🙁 It was a great trip though 🙂
Monica
Sounds like a lovely vacation. Too bad that restaurant is closed but what a great idea to recreate it at home for your daughter. It looks great - nice that you lightened it a bit (for me, that would mean we could eat more!).
Vicky & Ruth
Than you! You're absolutely right!! That's one advantage of lightening up recipes 😉
Jenny @ BAKE
These gnocchi are so cute! It sounds like an incredible holiday too!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you!! We did have a wonderful time. Back to reality now... Dealing with another snow storm today 🙁
Tamar Genger @joyofkosher
Yum, I love this, I was worried the sauce would be too heavy, but I love that you made it light.
Vicky & Ruth
Thanks! The lightened up version of the sauce is just as tasty and satisfying. Definitely better than the heavy cream sauce!
Elizabeth
This recipe looks out of this world! I cant wait to make it for dinner tonight with "The Lazy Fish" recipe I found on kimkushner.com/blog All I can say is Im going to eat well tonight 🙂
Vicky & Ruth
So glad you are trying our recipe. Let us know what how it came out.
Sarah Klinkowitz
Looks incredibly delicious!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl
I love this recipe and how you added veggies in to make it taste light! Love the combo, looks great!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Pamela, it did come out quite good, if we may say so...
Melissa {lilmisscakes}
This dish looks so so good!
Vicky & Ruth
Thanks!! Definitely one of our childhood favorites 🙂
Ruchama
This actually looks like it can be veganied, using a plant based milk and some of the excellent plant based cheeses. Any suggestions or cautions appreciated.
Vicky and Ruth
Yes, it's easy to make a pant-based bechamel sauce. Just add nutritional yeast for extra cheesy flavor.
Mary
can almond milk substitute regular milk --- and almond flour (or other) for regular flr.
Recipe sounds wonderful. thanks.
Vicky and Ruth
Yes, you can replace milk with almond milk. As far as the semolina flour, we would try corn flour or polenta instead of almond flour.
Elaine
Delicious! After refrigerating I rolled into little balls to simulate the gnocchi. Also paired with a light basil marinara instead of the bechamel to reduce dairy and lighten. Will definitely make again. Looks like it can be frozen, yes? If so I’ll make a bigger batch. Thank you!
Vicky and Ruth
We love have you made the recipe your own! Yes, the gnocchi can be frozen. Keep Cooking!!
Elaine
This batch was made with Whole Foods 365 plant-based grated Parmesan cheese (what I had). Next round I’ll try substituting cashew milk to see if it will work as completely plant-based. Fingers crossed!
Vicky and Ruth
Sounds great!Let us know how it comes out!