Salt & Lavender

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Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi

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This creamy mushroom and spinach gnocchi is a restaurant-worthy dinner made in one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes! White wine and parmesan cheese make this sauce extra amazing.

This creamy mushroom and spinach gnocchi is a restaurant-worthy dinner made in one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes!

If you looked up “comfort food” in the dictionary, this recipe really should be the example given. The pillowy gnocchi and the garlicky white wine parmesan cream sauce… omg.

It’s not like I post things on this blog that I don’t recommend, but sometimes I make something that I really want to repeat over and over. This is one of those times.

It was all I could do to stop myself from eating a regrettable amount of this before I even took photos. Luckily my “hey, you’re full, stop shoveling it down your gob already!” warning kicked in while I was taking the photos, so I was able to pack the rest for work lunches.

I can confirm that this dish reheats well (some creamy dishes really don’t).

Just another perk really.

This creamy mushroom and spinach gnocchi is a restaurant-worthy dinner made in one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes!

I’d say the magic happens here when you add the gnocchi to the pan and the cream sauce thickens up and turns into this velvety deliciousness. That potato starch does good things. You don’t need to mess around with cooking the gnocchi in a separate pot of boiling water. Bonus!

This is something I would totally serve company if I wasn’t a recluse and did that sorta thing. It’s also fast enough to make on a weeknight and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients.

I cheated and used your standard grocery store pre-packed shelf-stable gnocchi and thoroughly enjoyed this dish. I can only imagine how amazing this would be with fresh and/or homemade gnocchi!

This creamy mushroom and spinach gnocchi is a restaurant-worthy dinner made in one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes!

I used portobello mushrooms (baby bellas), but I would say that you should be ok to sub in white mushrooms if you prefer.

This creamy mushroom gnocchi recipe is the first gnocchi recipe I’ve posted here on S&L. I debated whether to include it in the “pasta” category or not. The answer is harder to find than you may think.

How are potato dumplings considered pasta? I know gnocchi can be made with other ingredients too, but I’m still iffy about all this. I’m probably overthinking this as usual, though. And yes, it sits in the pasta category now.

Someone please shed some light on this!

This creamy mushroom and spinach gnocchi is a restaurant-worthy dinner made in one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes!

I hope you make this creamy mushroom and spinach gnocchi! 😉

Questions? Ask me in the comments below!

This creamy mushroom and spinach gnocchi is a restaurant-worthy dinner made in one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes!
4.85 from 26 votes
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Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi

Creamy and delicious vegetarian mushroom and spinach gnocchi with a creamy parmesan and white wine sauce.

Course Entree
Cuisine American
Keyword mushroom gnocchi
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Salt & Lavender

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 12 ounces portobello mushrooms chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 dashes Italian seasoning
  • 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
  • 1 generous handful baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley chopped, to taste

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil to a skillet on medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's ok if it becomes lightly browned.
  2. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the Dijon mustard and white wine. Let it bubble for a minute or so.
  4. Add the cream and gnocchi. Wait until it starts to bubble again, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 3 minutes.
  5. Stir in the spinach, cover the pan again, and cook for 3 minutes.
  6. Stir in the parmesan and season with salt & pepper. Give it a taste; gnocchi should be soft. If not, continue to cook for another few minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with more parmesan cheese grated over top if desired.

Recipe Notes

  • This makes 4 reasonably sized portions. If you're feeding extra hungry people, I recommend serving this with a salad, garlic bread, and/or something else.
  • The gnocchi will cook right in the sauce. 

Love easy gnocchi recipes? You may also like my creamy gnocchi with sausage or my vegetarian creamy tomato gnocchi recipe.

Try more of my tasty recipes:

Creamy Mushroom Pasta
The Best Penne alla Vodka Recipe
Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • I absolutely love this dish!! I have made it a few times and I’m hooked. I was just going to make this and totally forgot the cheese. I have sharp and Monterey Jack Cheese. I assume neither of those would work??

      Reply

      • So glad you like it!! Well, I personally wouldn’t use those cheeses, but if you like them I am sure they would be ok… they will just change the dish a bit. They do have a different texture than parmesan, though.

        Reply

  2. Holy gorgeous. And delicious, obviously. I am totally in love with all of this– perfect for the next at-home date night!

    Reply

    • I would just use water or veg broth (or chicken broth if you’re not vegetarian). Hope you enjoy the recipe! 💜

      Reply

    • If you are making gnocchi from scratch, cook it before throwing it into this recipe!!!!

      I made the mistake of not boiling the fresh homemade gnocchi I had made and the gnocchi turned out way undercooked. I’m assuming she means storebought uncooked gnocchi, not homemade.

      Reply

      • Hi Chris, yes, I mention in the post that I used uncooked store-bought gnocchi. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out. For other readers, I would give it a few more minutes in the sauce if it’s still not cooked.

        Reply

  5. What do you think about adding some sort of shrimp or protein to this recipe? I’m scared my husband will want a meat or something more to it. Sounds super tasty !!!

    Reply

    • Hi Jen, I found it really filling and satisfying on its own, but I definitely understand the need for meat! 😉 I’d throw in the shrimp at the same time as the spinach since they cook quite fast (maybe give it an extra couple of minutes or so to be safe). You could probably add in some shredded chicken that’s already been cooked quite easily as well. Just add it in towards the end. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

    • Hi Bella, you would have to cook the pasta separately then add it to the sauce at the end. I wrote the recipe for the gnocchi to cook right in the sauce (it’s potato-based), and coventional pasta takes longer to cook, and would need more water. Without testing it, I can’t say how the one pot method would work for normal pasta.

      Reply

    • Dry white wine is white wine that isn’t sweet. E.g. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Unoaked Chardonnay. Hope this helps!

      Reply

    • Hi Kristen! Honestly, I haven’t tested out any variations, and the cream is what makes this recipe what it is. With that said, I just did a little research… Google says “Blend 2/3 cup of soy or rice milk with 1/3 cup melted dairy free margarine or oil (we like extra light olive oil for cooking). This will equal 1 cup of heavy cream for your recipes, but it will not whip.”, so you may want to try that. Let me know if you do try some variation! Have a good weekend. 🙂

      Reply

      • Cashew cream every time. Easy to make. Soak cashews then rinse. Blend with water. Easy and more delish than dairy ever could be.

        Reply

        • That is an option, but I’m not sure how it would taste or behave (texture-wise) in this recipe tbh. I’ve used cashew cream to make vegan cheesecake.

          Reply

    • Kristen, I used Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower gnocchi into almond milk (I’m sure cashew would be amazing! I also used a little Not Chik’n bouillon. Tastes great- might have a little bit to do with all fresh herbs—-

      Reply

  10. My 15 year old son picked out this recipe. He wanted to try a new recipe with gnocchi so we’re going to try it this weekend!🤗

    Reply

  11. made this last night, loved it so much! 🙂 I used chicken broth instead of white wine and still tasted delicious 🙂
    I was unsure of putting uncooked gnocchi because mine was the dried one from store…. is it okay to put dried ones right away too? it would definitely save some time!

    thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

    • Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Do you have a link to the specific gnocchi you’re talking about? I’m wondering because the only “dried” potato gnocchi I’ve seen is the uncooked variety that I used… so it would definitely be fine. I know gnocchi isn’t always made of potato, though, so I am curious if you’re talking about something different. The kind I buy is found on the same shelves as the pasta, and it’s in a see-thru plastic container, and not refrigerated. It looks like this: http://bit.ly/2wzoEg0 To cook it you just put it in boiling water for a few minutes, but I skip that step in this recipe since it just cooks in the sauce… and it does double duty of thickening the sauce when it cooks. I think we are probably talking about the same thing. 🙂

      Reply

  13. Just finished this, it was amazing! I used veggie broth instead of wine. Definitely will make this again! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  14. Hello from sunny Singapore! Thanks for this recipe-I was definitely skeptical about the uncooked gnocchi, but you’re right it’s amazing!!

    Reply

  15. I have frozen Gorgonzola gnocchi fromTrader Joe’s. Do you think that will work for this recipe? Should I thaw or cook it first?

    I’m really excited to try this!

    Reply

    • Hi Emilie! I just looked up that product, and it sounds like it comes with its own sauce, so I think it would just be best to buy a package of plain gnocchi since I can’t predict how mixing two creamy sauces would turn out. I mean you could give it a try if you’re feeling adventurous, but I have no idea if it’ll work or not. If you’re adding frozen gnocchi, I would let it cook in the sauce for a bit longer, but again, I’m just speculating here.

      Reply

  16. This was absolutely incredible! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. I made this for my folks as a “thanks for letting me live here” thing and my mother licked the bowl!

    Reply

  17. Hi there! I tried your other gnocchi recipe with the tomatoes and it was good except for the Dijon mustard. That ruined it for us. 🙁 Overall, it’s a great recipe though! I’m giving this one a try tonight, but omitting the Dijon mustard. I think this one’s gonna be a winner! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • I’m sorry to hear that, Liz! Yes, the recipe will definitely be fine without it. I hope this one works out better for you. 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Wendy! I’m not sure how well it would freeze. I generally find creamy sauces don’t always thaw/reheat well, and the spinach may get more watery.

      Reply

  21. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was delicious and so easy to make! I am making this again as a Thanksgiving side dish.

    Reply

  22. i am looking for a recipe that i can make one day ahead, put in a casserole dish and bake in the oven. Do you think this recipe would work for this? I have seen baked gnocchi recipes before. Thanks, looks so good!!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Sue! I’m hesitant to tell you that it will work since I have not tried it before. I’m concerned that the spinach may majorly wilt and get watery and that the mushrooms may get tough, and the cream sauce may separate and/or reduce too much depending on what temperature the oven is. I’ve had this as leftovers the next day, but since it’s pre-cooked, all I do is pop it in the microwave to warm it through. I mean you could give it a try, but I would definitely do a test first before you plan on bringing it to a Xmas party or something. If you’re just re-warming it in the oven (like you do all the cooking the day before), then it probably isn’t too risky, but if you alter any of the steps to have it cook in the oven then I can’t really advise without testing first. Let me & the other readers know how it goes if you do try this route. 🙂

      Reply

      • I just made this right now, using your exact recipe. I then put it in a casserole dish and put the parmesan on top. I put it in the oven at 375 for 12 min. It is so, so good.

        I think I will try making it tomorrow, covering it well and baking it on Saturday. I always do that with macaroni and cheese but a little nervous given this is a cream sauce.

        Wish me luck!!

        Reply

    • Thanks, Sharon! You could try something lighter like half-and-half or milk, but honestly there’s nothing that quite compares to heavy cream in here. I understand wanting to lighten up dishes, but this is a definite treat haha.

      Reply

  24. Hey Natasha. I wanted to make fresh homemade gnocchi and I was looking for a recipe for a sauce to go with it and stubbled on yours. Would you still suggest cooking the gnocchi in the sauce since I’m making it homemade or cooking it separately then adding to the sauce?

    Reply

    • Hi Anthony! I think it should still work the way the recipe is written. The starch in the gnocchi helps thicken the sauce too, so that’s the main reason why I like cooking it in there. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

  25. I have NEVER commented on a recipe I have tried. This one was incredible! I used refrigerated gnocchi I had to hunt down in the grocery store, and it was PERFECT. My son does not like mushrooms, even though I love them, and he ate most of it! I think the sauce was spot on. I cook a LOT; and this is one I will use again! Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply

  26. Hello! I am excited to try this recipe for my in laws on Wednesday night. I have a quick question, do you think I could double this recipe (my husband usually likes bigger portions). Also, I have frozen potato ghnocchi from the local Italian market. Do you think I should defrost the ghnocchi or would frozen work ok?

    Thanks so much for your help!

    Reply

    • Hi Michele! I think doubling the recipe should work just fine. I’d try the frozen gnocchi, just cook it for a bit longer prior to adding the spinach to the pan. Hope everyone loves it! 🙂

      Reply

  27. I just finished cooking this and while it’s TOTALLY AMAZING I found it to be really really rich (perhaps, dare I say it, too much cheese?!?)

    Just wondering what you think the best troubleshoot for this would be? More cream? Less cheese? Who knows?

    Anyway, amazing recipe!

    Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Hi Liz! So glad you liked it! It definitely is a rich dish. You could try adding less cheese, but I find the cream is usually what does it. I haven’t tried this myself, but subbing the cream for half-and-half would give it a lighter taste (but it may have more watery sauce). Or just eat less of it and serve it with a salad like I do haha.

      Reply

      • Um – this is easy and rich and AMAZING! Plus, I love when I have an excuse to drink wine while I cook 😉

        Half-and-half totally works – I made it that way and it was still creamy and delicious!

        Reply

  29. This is such a yummy and easy recipe!
    Thank you for sharing! It was my first time on your page and I am looking forward to using more of your recipes! 🙂

    Reply

  30. Hello! I am very excited that I found this recipe on pinterest, and I’m planning on making it ASAP.
    My question is, can I use frozen portobello mushrooms instead? I have a ton in my freezer

    Reply

    • Hi Katia! I haven’t tried it with frozen mushrooms and usually don’t cook with frozen mushrooms, so I can’t say for sure. I’d definitely give it a try, though and see if you like it.

      Reply

  31. Served this with a salad and filet mignon. Left the steak on the plate and devoured the gnocchi. The only changes I made were to add a little more cream and a lot more spinach. Divine recipe!

    Reply

  32. Decided to actually meal prep this week and I made this as a “treat yo self” Monday Funday (I’m a teacher and had president’s day off!). This was DELICIOUS! I, too, craved some seafood to go with it and may perhaps add some scallops or shrimp next time, but it was filling on its own! It’s very rich, too, so portion control is literally built in to the recipe. Enjoyed this very much and plan on making it a lot more often!

    Reply

    • That’s so good to hear!! Very happy you enjoyed it. Here in Canada we also had today off, but it’s called “Family Day” – strange haha.

      Reply

  33. I’m definitely in the minority here, but I wasn’t that fond of this dish. The mushrooms were overpowering, and I LIKE mushrooms. All the flavors melded together in such a way that nothing was standout, except the mushrooms. I did use Ripple (vegan) half and half (to answer another commentor’s question – it worked GREAT!), and I used real Parmesan cheese rather than vegan cheese. I may try it again. It has all the ingredients that I really like, but I will reduce the mushrooms, up the spinach (maybe use kale?) and increase the spice a tad. It came together quickly and easily which was a real bonus. I just think the final dish needs a bit more tweaking. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Suzy, thanks for the feedback… it may help other readers. It’s kinda hard for me to reply to your comment knowing that you didn’t follow the recipe exactly (I strongly suggest using heavy cream), so I’m not really sure what to say. I didn’t find the mushrooms overpowering myself, so I’m a bit puzzled.

      Reply

  34. I made this for supper last night because it combines my three great loves: mushrooms, heavy cream, and cheese. I have to say, this was one of the best things I have eaten in a looooooooong time. Followed your recipe to a T and it did not disappoint. Thanks so much for a delicious addition to my “rotation”. 🙂

    Reply

  35. This was quick enough to make even with my husband in Mumbai–meaning I get a free pass from cooking. Natasha, this is spectacular!!! I am always looking for delicious meals I can serve to my vegetarian friends. This fits the bill. And I believe my husband missed out on an incredible meal. But I’ll make it again for him. Sooooo good. Definitely something you could get in a fine restaurant. Thank you for creating and sharing.

    Reply

  36. hello loved this recipe but I have 6 people to feed should I double all the ingrediants? Rather have too much than not enough for next time!

    Reply

  37. Loved this recipe. First cream based meal I’ve made as husband is a bit of a health nut!!
    I substituted cream for 1/3 cup of full cream milk. I also diced chicken breast into small pieces and browned them in mixed herbs before I made the sauce. Once I had got the milk, onion garlic and mushrooms and (gluten free) gnocchi nearly ready I chcuked in the chicken and spinach and mixed it altogether.
    I’m a huge fan of mustard and thought a teaspoon of it worked so well. I loved the flavour.
    This is a beautiful recipe and with a few changes to accomodate. It’s also time efficient. I had it ready on the dining table within 20 minutes.
    Thanks so much for sharing xxx

    Reply

  38. This was absolutely delicious. Bought gnocchi and was looking on Pinterest for a vegetarian gnocchi dish as I was hosting a vegetarian friend. She absolutely loved it as well as my kids. I even ate the leftovers I was trying to save for my husband!! Added to our dinner rotation 🙂

    Reply

  39. Made this twice already really amazing! I just put however much mushroom and spinach I want… which is a lot and it turns out great whatever the amount you put 🙂

    Reply

  40. Hi Natasha,

    Great recipe, we fought over it even though I doubled it!!! My skinny husband and daughter are noodle eaters and were so excited when they saw this. I made some substitutions: no cream so heated 2% milk with American cheese melted in and whisked to give the milk some body; I used a Reisling because it was the only white I had and threw in a handful of grape tomatoes in last minutes to cook so they would burst when eating. Truly a keeper recipe. I hope you are okay with my changes. Thank you for posting. I love one pan suppers!

    Reply

    • So glad everyone liked it, Mary! 🙂 Your changes sound really resourceful, and I love the addition of the tomatoes.

      Reply

  41. This was so, so, so good! I made exactly as written tonight. My husband topped his with some red pepper flakes in addition to the fresly grated parmesan and freshly chopped flat leaf parsley, but he does that with most pasta-type dishes. Total time was less than half an hour from start to finish. My husband loved this so much. He normally needs a protein in his meals, but he didn’t even ask with this dish. He’s so excited about the leftovers for his work lunch tomorrow and said this one should definitely go into our regular meal rotation. I’ve already recommended it to my sisters and my mom. Natasha, thank you for such a delicious and ridiculously easy recipe. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. If anyone is wondering whether to make this, it’s a definite YES!!!

    Reply

  42. So good!! The family loved it! I added sliced Italian sausage and my hubby said he would order this in a restaurant! 😁 Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  43. This is absolutely delicious! My first time using gnocchi and I was so impressed how perfectly this recipe cooked it! Definitely one of my favourite vegetarian meals.

    Reply

  45. We adapted a little to cut some calories. Used milk i stead of cream and added a few spoonfuls of pasta sauce tomake a light tomato cresm. It was really delicious

    Reply

  46. I eat gluten-free and no dairy but wanted to try this recipe because it looks so good. Went with a store bought gluten-free gnocchi, homemade almond milk instead of cream, and a homemade nut and nutritional yeast based vegan parmesan. The sauce thicken up beautifully. Next time I’ll take inspiration from some of the other commenters and add grape tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes. Thank you for sharing your recipes!

    Reply

  47. Thank you for the recipe, delicious!! I improvised with frozen assorted mushrooms; I’m sure the portabello would have been yummy. I also was out of white wine, (I did a lot of cooking this weekend), so I used dry marsala wine. I also chopped pancetta into the oil first then the onion, etc. because I love the flavor it adds to onions, garlic and mushrooms. One more thing… I only had the Parmesano Reggiano to crumble not the older one used to grate so I used Locatelli Picorino Romano and some Asiago. It’s a meal that can be served to guests or a quick delicious weeknight meal. Thank you again!

    Reply

  48. I came across this recipe on Pinterest and knew I had to make it. Natasha, this one didn’t stay on my Recipes To Try board long! Made it this evening, and we are thrilled! So much flavor, so incredibly filling and, seriously, one of the fastest meals I have ever put together. We keep gnocchi in the pantry because it is great in soups so this is a new way to use them. Many thanks for providing me another dish for my Recipes I Love board!

    Reply

  50. I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?

    Reply

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