Gnocchi with Spinach and Avocado Goat Cheese Sauce

Gnocchi with Spinach and Avocado Goat Cheese Sauce is a quick and easy dinner solution with minimal cooking and maximum flavor!

We’re going green today!

Ever get home, look at your kitchen, refrigerator and pantry and think…..”There’s got to be dinner in here somewhere?”

This rich, delicious and comforting Gnocchi with Spinach and Avocado Goat Cheese Sauce was born from a dinner desperation moment!

Who hasn’t been there?  The same thing happens to people like me who cook for a living.  What’s really sad is when you get home from cooking beautiful and healthful meals for other people all day then you sit down to a dinner of reheated brown rice and a fried egg.  Not complaining, grateful for it and it does help to keep things in perspective.

Super-ripe avocados were sitting on my kitchen island and a container of baby spinach in the fridge was on the brink of becoming compost.  We always have a variety of cheese including goat cheese on hand.  I like to keep a package of gnocchi in the pantry which makes for a quick meal and it’s a nice change from pasta.

Feel free to make your own potato gnocchi.  To me, it’s a wonderful weekend project, but on a weeknight….not so much.  Both DeLallo and GiaRusso potato gnocchi will give you good results.  (Not affiliate links.)

How to make Gnocchi with Spinach and Avocado Goat Cheese Sauce:

• Combine the avocado, goat cheese and the juice of half a lemon in a food processor.
• Bring water to a boil, salt it then boil the gnocchi per package directions and drain.  Reserve some of the cooking water.
• Cook the spinach with garlic in a small saute pan then transfer the avocado and goat cheese combination to the saucepan with the spinach.
• Add a little of the reserved gnocchi cooking water to the saute pan to thin and heat the sauce, toss in the gnocchi and voila!  Dinner’s done!

For more easy pasta dishes, be sure to try my:

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Helpful tools and equipment to make Gnocchi with Spinach and Avocado Goat Cheese Sauce  (Affiliate Links):

Yield: 4

Gnocchi with Spinach and Avocado Goat Cheese Sauce

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Gnocchi with Spinach and Avocado Goat Cheese Sauce is a quick and easy dinner solution with minimal cooking and maximum flavor!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium avocados, pitted and peeled
• 1 (5-ounce) log goat cheese, plus more for crumbling over gnocchi if desired
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (16-ounce) package potato gnocchi
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (10-ounce) container baby spinach
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

1. Combine avocados, goat cheese, lemon juice and salt and black pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook per package directions. Drain, but reserve some of the cooking water.
3. Heat olive oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add the spinach and garlic and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
5. Transfer avocado mixture to saucepan with spinach. Add a small amount of the cooking water to the spinach-avocado-goat cheese mixture to thin as desired.
6. Add gnocchi to pan and toss.
7. Serve with additional crumbled goat cheese if desired with a good dose of freshly cracked black pepper.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 373Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 22mgSodium 129mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 8gSugar 1gProtein 8g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.