Crispy Gnocchi With Spinach and Feta

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published Aug. 19, 2024

Crispy Gnocchi With Spinach and Feta
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(6,555)
Comments
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Inspired by the herbaceous and jaunty flavors of spanakopita, the savory, ever popular Greek pie, spinach and feta headline this textural gnocchi salad. The spinach is not cooked, but is simply massaged, which softens it while ensuring it maintains its leafy structure. Incorporating some feta to the spinach massage is a functional move — the salt in the feta helps to tenderize the leaves — but it also adds a hint of quiet luxury to this dish, as the leaves become coated with the creamy, briny cheese. Be heavy-handed with your herbs and lemon, as these bring boldness and freshness that play off the saltiness of the feta. Everyday shelf-stable gnocchi from your local supermarket is perfect for crisping in the pan; if you choose to use frozen variety, no defrosting is required.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 5ounces baby spinach
  • 6ounces Greek feta, crumbled (about 1 cup) 
  • 1lemon, halved
  • 5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1(16- to 17-ounce) package potato gnocchi (shelf-stable, fresh or frozen)
  • ¼ to ½teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2scallions, thinly sliced
  • Big handful of chopped dill
  • Big handful of chopped mint
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

442 calories; 26 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 684 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the spinach into a large bowl. Add half of the feta, juice of ½ lemon, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a big pinch of salt; rub the ingredients vigorously into the spinach to tenderize it. Leave to sit and soften further while you cook the gnocchi.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large (about 12-inch) cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the gnocchi to the pan, breaking up any that are stuck together. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing every 2 minutes, until golden and crispy all over. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes; they will further crisp as they cool.

  3. Step 3

    Add the gnocchi to the spinach, along with the red pepper, scallions, dill and mint. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the remaining crumbled feta and toss to combine. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over top and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
6,555 user ratings
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Comments

Humbug311

For those with an air fryer, the gnocchi are easily crisped that way. It takes about the same amount of time as crisping in a pan. However, I find a couple of shakes of the air fryer basket easier than having to stand over the pan and stir every couple of minutes, and it allows for the use of much less oil and avoids any chance of the gnocchi sticking to the pan and burning.

FM

I couldn't believe how good this was. I could eat this every day. A couple of notes: 1. I only used a half a lemon based on comments and agree that a whole lemon would have been too much. 2. I chopped up the spinach finely with the lemon, feta, dill, & olive oil EARLY and left it on the counter for a couple of hours. By the time I added the crisp gnocchi and more feta, the spinach was quite soft and was room temperature; the hot gnocchi heated it up enough that it didn't feel like "salad."

Lori

This is my new favorite recipe and I gave it five stars: 1st: Delicious 2nd: Nutritious 3rd: Inexpensive 4th: Easy to make (And I was able to do it in the allotted time without a sous chef!) 5th: Great leftovers

Lani Barna

Fantastic side dish! Hubby smoked a salmon and I served this on the side. It complemented the whole meal beautifully. As another reviewer said I left the spinach, chopped up dill and mint, feta, lemon and salt on the counter for at least an hour while I crisped the gnocchi. By the time it was ready the spinach was nice and soft and the warm gnocchi finished it off completely so it didn’t taste like a salad. It was perfect

Ginny

Yes. Less lemon for sure also salt but still really good. It will now be a favorite with these modifications

BelleElleb

Am I the only one who finds shelf-stable gnocchi "gummy"? Especially when fried? Any work arounds?

Julia

I agree with you. See the comment from Claude B, who advised: “I made it with homemade gnocchis and it was delicious. I would use the salad receipe for others meals paired with a protéines.” So I’m going to try that. (Thanks, Claude B.)

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