Description
Garlic Gnocchi with Paneer and Spinach is a wonderful melding of flavors. The cheesy flavor of the paneer compliments the taste and texture of the Garlic Gnocchi. The spinach adds taste, color and a little healthiness to this rich dish!
Ingredients
For the Garlic Gnocchi
- 1 1/4 cups potato starch
- 1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
- 2–3 tablespoons garlic oil
- 3 large eggs
- Additional water
To finish
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 recipe Homemade Paneer Cheese, or 1 (8–10 ounce) package paneer cheese, diced
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- parmesan to garnish
Instructions
- Combine the potato starch and mashed potato flakes in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs and garlic oil. Using a large spoon or your hands, knead the dough until soft and smooth. You can add additional oil up to 3 tablespoons and a little water if necessary to achieve the proper consistency.
- Cut the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece into a long log, around and inch thick. Cut the log into one to one and a half inch pieces. Press the tines of a fork into each gnocchi, making the cute little lines on top.
- Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi to the water, working in batches if necessary. Cook for five minutes. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to a bowl and set aside.
To Finish
- Melt the butter in a large skillet (12-inch). Add the dices paneer and sauté until the paneer is lightly browned.
- Add the cooked gnocchi, and toss with the paneer. Allow the gnocchi to brown slightly and to heat completely through.
- Pile the spinach on top of the pan, and cook stirring frequently, until the spinach is wilted. You can cook the spinach in batches if necessary, leaving the already wilted spinach in the pan.
- Season the gnocchi with the parmesan, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.
- Serve hot garnished with additional parmesan.
Notes
Serve this dish hot, the gnocchi are not as tasty cold.
If you don’t have time to make the paneer, feel free to use store bought paneer. Dice it as directed in the recipe.
If you don’t have time to make the paneer and can’t find Kosher paneer cheese in the store, you can substitute halloumi cheese or even super extra firm tofu. Note: if you do use tofu you can make this dish dairy free by using plant based parmesan.
If you don’t have time to make the Garlic Gnocchi, feel free to use store bought gnocchi. While it won’t be as delicious as the home made, it will still be exceptionally tasty in this dish.
From what I was able to tell from my research, I wasn’t able to find a plant based recipe for paneer cheese. Using almond milk to make it didn’t seem to work as well. If you happen to find a good recipe please let me know.
If you are not a huge garlic fan, feel free to substitute extra virgin olive oil. Additionally, if three tablespoons of garlic oil makes the gnocchi too garlicy, you can use a mixture of garlic and extra virgin olive oil instead.