Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

  One of my favorite memories from childhood is eating warm gnocchi in Italy with browned butter and cheese. Doesn't that just make your mouth water? I have yet to make them homemade, so that might be the next adventurous thing I do.  This recipe is a super family friendly meal. I had dinner on the table in about 15 minutes and it was a one pan meal, so less clean up. So easy and our family loved it! I mean, come on! Who wouldn't love miniature potato dumplings with melted cheese? If you are wondering what gnocchi is, get a little Italian history lesson towards the bottom of this post. Happy Eating!

*this recipe came from Eating Well . You can check out the original recipe from the Eating Well website.

Gnocchi Recipe

Serves: 6 Prep: 10  minutes Cooking Time:  15 minutes

1 TB plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided
1 16oz package gnocchi, usually in the Italian section of most supermarkets

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

6 cups chopped swiss chard or spinach

1 15oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning

1 15oz can white beans, rinsed (see Change it Up)
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated


1. Heat 1 TB oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often until they are starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 tsp oil and onion to pan and cook, stirring over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook for 4-6 minutes. Add chard or spinach and cook stirring for 1-2 minutes until they start to wilt. Stir in tomatoes and beans and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Stir in gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Per Serving

Calories 325 ; Total Fat 7 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 3 g) ; Protein 14 g; Carb 55 g; Fiber 6 g; Cholesterol 8 mg; Sodium 360 mg

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Plan and Prep Ahead 

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner. 

~Chop up swiss chard or spinach and leave in fridge until time to use. 
~Cut up onion and garlic and keep in fridge until ready to use.


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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

 ~Instead of gnocchi, try this recipe with whole wheat noodles or brown rice.

~Try Kale or Collard Greens instead of chard or spinach.
~Use Monterrey Jack instead of Mozzarella.
~Chop up some shallots instead of onions.

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What is Gnocchi? 

 

Gnocchi are soft dumplings that are usually made from potato. They can also be made from semolina, wheat flour, or bread crumbs as well. Gnocchi is usually used as an alternative to pasta and can be served with tomato sauce, pesto or melted butter with cheese. According to Wikipedia, "the word gnocchi probably derives from the Italian word nocchio, meaning a knot in wood."