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You are here: Home » Vegetarian

Spinach Semolina Gnocchi in Bechamel Sauce With Roasted Tomatoes

Apr 11, 2021 -May contain affiliate links

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Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review
Overhead view of a white bowl with spinach semolina gnocchi square over a béchamel sauce and roasted tomatoes

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!

Overhead view of a white bowl with spinach semolina gnocchi square over a béchamel sauce and roasted tomatoes

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!

Ingredients to make semolina gnocchi labeled. semolina flour, milk, parmesan cheese flour, oil, spinach, salt and pepper

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.

  • Roux in a saucepan
  • Bechamel sauce in a saucepan

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.

  • Mixing milk, spinach and semolina flour in a saucepan
  • Making semolina gnocchi in a saucepan
  • A square glass baking dish with spinach semolina gnocchi dough
  • Cutting squares of spinach semolina gnocchi in a square glass baking dish

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.

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Side view of of a white bowl with spinach semolina gnocchi square over a béchamel sauce and roasted tomatoes
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Overhead view of a white bowl with spinach semolina gnocchi square over a béchamel sauce and roasted tomatoes

Spinach Semolina Gnocchi


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: https://mayihavethatrecipe.com
  • Total Time: 90
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. To prepare the oven roasted tomatoes, preheat the oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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)
  7. When ready to serve, cut the semolina mixture into small squares and warm them up in a pan or the microwave
  8. 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 make this recipe?

Tag @mayihavethatrecipe on Instagram and hashtag it #mayihavethatrecipe #tahiniandturmeric

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.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. stephanie

    January 30, 2014 at 7:46 pm

    i love love love gnocchi, and this is such a great adaptation!

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 02, 2014 at 1:17 pm

      Thank you! They're definitely lighter than potato gnocchi. And a great way to get your daily dose of greens 🙂

      Reply
  2. jessica // the kosher foodies

    January 30, 2014 at 9:48 pm

    I love trying to recreate childhood dishes. this one looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 02, 2014 at 1:17 pm

      Thanks!! Absolutely. One of our favorite things to do!

      Reply
  3. Ronnie Fein

    January 31, 2014 at 1:33 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 02, 2014 at 1:21 pm

      Oh my goodness. You're melting and we're freezing!! Hope you enjoy your trip!

      Reply
  4. Hindy

    January 31, 2014 at 7:31 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 02, 2014 at 1:22 pm

      Yes, definitely comforting! Hope you enjoy it 🙂

      Reply
  5. Mary Frances

    January 31, 2014 at 9:16 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 02, 2014 at 1:23 pm

      Absolutely!! Who doesn't like the combination of spinach and cheese??? 😉

      Reply
  6. Consuelo @ Honey & Figs

    February 01, 2014 at 5:50 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 02, 2014 at 1:33 pm

      Yes, definitely sad to see it was closed 🙁 It was a great trip though 🙂

      Reply
  7. Monica

    February 02, 2014 at 7:45 am

    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!).

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 02, 2014 at 1:37 pm

      Than you! You're absolutely right!! That's one advantage of lightening up recipes 😉

      Reply
  8. Jenny @ BAKE

    February 02, 2014 at 5:10 pm

    These gnocchi are so cute! It sounds like an incredible holiday too!

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 03, 2014 at 7:41 am

      Thank you!! We did have a wonderful time. Back to reality now... Dealing with another snow storm today 🙁

      Reply
  9. Tamar Genger @joyofkosher

    February 02, 2014 at 10:56 pm

    Yum, I love this, I was worried the sauce would be too heavy, but I love that you made it light.

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 03, 2014 at 7:43 am

      Thanks! The lightened up version of the sauce is just as tasty and satisfying. Definitely better than the heavy cream sauce!

      Reply
  10. Elizabeth

    February 05, 2014 at 1:56 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 07, 2014 at 3:26 pm

      So glad you are trying our recipe. Let us know what how it came out.

      Reply
  11. Sarah Klinkowitz

    February 06, 2014 at 2:51 pm

    Looks incredibly delicious!

    Reply
  12. Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl

    February 06, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    I love this recipe and how you added veggies in to make it taste light! Love the combo, looks great!

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 06, 2014 at 10:34 pm

      Thank you Pamela, it did come out quite good, if we may say so...

      Reply
  13. Melissa {lilmisscakes}

    February 10, 2014 at 11:02 am

    This dish looks so so good!

    Reply
    • Vicky & Ruth

      February 11, 2014 at 1:43 pm

      Thanks!! Definitely one of our childhood favorites 🙂

      Reply
  14. Ruchama

    April 12, 2021 at 7:08 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Vicky and Ruth

      July 07, 2022 at 1:48 pm

      Yes, it's easy to make a pant-based bechamel sauce. Just add nutritional yeast for extra cheesy flavor.

      Reply
  15. Mary

    April 12, 2021 at 11:24 am

    can almond milk substitute regular milk --- and almond flour (or other) for regular flr.
    Recipe sounds wonderful. thanks.

    Reply
    • Vicky and Ruth

      May 10, 2021 at 12:43 pm

      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.

      Reply
  16. Elaine

    May 31, 2022 at 1:47 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Vicky and Ruth

      May 31, 2022 at 4:54 pm

      We love have you made the recipe your own! Yes, the gnocchi can be frozen. Keep Cooking!!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        June 04, 2022 at 10:38 am

        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!

        Reply
        • Vicky and Ruth

          June 23, 2022 at 12:23 pm

          Sounds great!Let us know how it comes out!

          Reply

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We are Vicky & Ruth, authors of the vegan cookbook Tahini and Turmeric. Born and raised in a multicultural Jewish-Lebanese-Spanish household our culinary journey began in Barcelona, Spain where we learned from our family the rich flavors of Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, Morocco, and Spain. From our mother's fragrant Lebanese dishes to our grandmother's secret Sephardic Turkish specialties, our Moroccan friend's fragrant recipes, our sister's vibrant Israeli creations, and our neighbor's authentic Spanish fare, each dish was a key that unlocked new exciting yumminess.

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