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This one Skillet Baked Creamy Pesto Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi is the perfect cozy dinner. Inspired by the flavors of Tuscany, this simple, hearty dish is so delicious! Think spinach and artichoke dip, but with the addition of pillowy potato gnocchi, Italian herbs and spices, and a rich creamy sauce. Truly one of those all-in-one dinners that everyone at the table will love. Great for a weeknight, but equally fancy enough to serve at a gathering with friends or family. You can’t go wrong with this Italian skillet dinner.

overhead photo of Skillet Baked Creamy Pesto Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi

I often get asked if I ever have times when I’m feeling uninspired, lacking in motivation, or just having an off week. The answer is easy, yes, of course. And I am currently having one of those weeks! A week when it feels as though everything I am creating is just blah. I have all the motivation and the ideas, but when it comes to execution, I just can’t seem to get it right. It’s not the easiest, but as a creative person who needs to create literally every single day, I also know it comes with the territory. I might be struggling a little now, but I know this phase will pass. I just have to keep going and wake up each morning with a new mindset. Keep trying!

My point? When I’m feeling a little defeated and in need of comfort, I turn to recipes like this gnocchi. I made this the other week, after what felt like one bad recipe after another. From the second I had the ingredients jotted down in my notebook, I knew I was going to love this.

photo of dry gnocchi before cooking

How could I not? Creamy sauce? Pesto? Spinach? Artichokes? Italian herbs and spices?

All the things I love most. And just one skillet, thirty minutes, and mostly pantry staple ingredients. Sometimes it takes a little more effort to come up with recipes I think are beneficial to share. But it’s worth it, I could not love this creamy gnocchi more.

gnocchi cooking in sauce

Here are the details.

This all comes together really quickly. As you can guess, you need only one skillet and really just a handful of ingredients. Most of which you may already have on hand.

To start, cook together the onions with garlic, oregano, and fennel. This is key…you want to add the dried herbs with the garlic to really help infuse flavor into the oil. As soon as the herbs and spices hit the oil, you’ll immediately smell them…and it’s perfect. Do not skip this step. It’s where all the flavor comes into play.

Next, toss in the gnocchi and either fresh baby spinach or kale. I’ve personally used both and either one is great, so use what you like best. Next, pour in some white wine and water. Bring this to a boil, stir in some coconut milk (cream or whole milk are wonderful substitutes), basil pesto, and artichokes. Now add a good handful of shredded provolone cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling up…and your kitchen is smelling amazing.

Done. Just top with fresh lemon and basil. So simple, but so perfect.

overhead close up photo of Skillet Baked Creamy Pesto Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi

Some helpful tips/substitutes…

I love using a cast-iron skillet, but any oven-safe skillet or even dutch oven works great. If you don’t have a skillet that can go from the stovetop to the oven, simply transfer the gnocchi and sauce to a baking dish, then add the cheese and kale.

As mentioned, if you don’t love spinach, you can also use kale. If you use kale, I’d recommend adding it a few minutes before the gnocchi, tossing it with the olive oil in the skillet, and cooking until it starts to wilt. Then, add the gnocchi. This will help to break down the kale a little more.

Not a wine drinker? No problem, you can just use an equal amount of water in place of the wine.

I like using coconut milk as a creamy, non-dairy creamer. I find it creates a really creamy, but not heavy sauce, and doesn’t leave behind any coconut flavor. Of course, if you prefer you can use heavy cream or whole milk. Use what’s best for you!

overhead close up photo of Skillet Baked Creamy Pesto Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi

I know skillet dinners can get a little boring, but this is anything but boring. The sauce is creamy, hinted with garlic, herbs, and all the Italian flavors we love most. The gnocchi is soft and pillowy and pairs perfectly with the classic combo of spinach and artichokes.

This is everything you’d expect from a dinner that requires hours of hands-on time, but instead takes under an hour from start to finish. I can serve this up on busy weeknights, but it’s special enough for the weekend too. I’ll be remaking this one for the fam this week…with an added side of crusty bread for scooping up that delicious excess sauce.

overhead photo of Skillet Baked Creamy Pesto Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi on serving plate

Looking for other one-skillet dinner ideas…check out these.

If you make this skillet baked creamy pesto spinach and artichoke gnocchi, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Skillet Baked Creamy Pesto Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 449 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
    2. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, cooking until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, fennel seed, and crushed red pepper flakes, cooking until lightly golden, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the gnocchi, spinach or kale, wine, and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cook 3-5 minutes, until the gnocchi is soft. Add the cream, pesto, and artichokes, cooking another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Top with cheese.
    3. Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Serve topped with lemon zest and juice, and basil, if desired.

Notes

If you don't cook with wine: you can use and equal amount of water. 
NOTE: Using Coconut Milk: does not add any coconut flavor.
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Comments

    1. Hey Shonda,
      Sure, you could serve both chicken or steak with this, I would cook it on the side to your liking;) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT

  1. 5 stars
    This was excellent! I follow a Whole Foods Plant Based diet, and so many of your recipes are very easily adaptable. (For this one, I just omitted oil, used vegan pesto and cheese, and even subbed cauliflower gnocchi.) Even with these changes, it was amazing. You are a genius with flavors, seasoning, and creating delicious combinations.
    I began following you years ago when I was cooking for a crowd every week- all of those recipes were delicious. I adopted the plant-based diet, and the recipes are equally delicious- by far the best recipes I cook for groups of friends, my family or myself come from you! Thank you for all of your testing and hard work!

    1. Hey Kerry,
      Thanks for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! Thanks so much for your kind message and making so many recipes:) xTieghan

  2. 5 stars
    First time making this recipe, and it was DELICIOUS!!! I didn’t have any gnocchi in the house, and since it’s January in Ohio, I also wasn’t interested in going to the grocery store, so I just used regular penne pasta I had in the pantry. I boiled the pasta at the same time I started cooking and only cooked the pasta for half the time the box said and then added it just like it was gnocchi and followed the recipe exactly the same for the rest of time. The only thing other thing I did was pour the final cooked dish into a glass baking dish to go into the oven for the last 10 mins with the cheese. The pasta soaked up all the liquid and turned out perfect – was like a pasta bake!

    1. Hey Stephanie,
      Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! xxTieghan

  3. And this was course #3 of my four course wine pairing! Guests loved this one too! I paired this one with a light red German wine. Seriously was a crowd pleaser! Cannot get enough of your recipes!

    1. Hey Amanda,
      I like to get my gnocchi from Whole Foods! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  4. 5 stars
    You are my go to for dinner, and I’m never disappointed. I love gnocchi and spinach artichoke dip, so this was a match made it heaven.

    1. Hey Suzanne,
      Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so excited that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday! xTieghan

  5. I have gone to this page about 5000 times and now its finally time to comment. This is one of our family’s go -tos! everyone loves it and its not a tough meal. I always have the ingredients on hand now just in case its Monday and I need it lol. Thanks for this one!

  6. I only have white cheddar or Parmesan. I plan to make this but don’t want to buy more cheese. Which do you recommend? Or mix them? Thanks can’t wait to try this.

    1. Hey Courtney,
      I would use a mix! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  7. I made this with frozen gnocchi and boiled it first (package instructions) and I found the gnocchi to get soggy once I added it to the recipe. Do you recommend that I put sauté the frozen gnocchi next time instead of boiling it beforehand?

    Thank you!

    1. Hey Julia,
      Next time I would recommend using uncooked, fresh potato gnocchi and following the recipe as is:) I hope this helps! xTieghan

    2. I used some of the non-frozen gnocchi found on many dried pasta aisles. Although the cooking instructions tell you to boil in water for a couple of minutes, I skipped since it would be boiled in the wine/water mixture with the previously prepared ingredients. I found it to be a suitable substitute for fresh gnocchi (I can only get that if I make it myself… and I’m not really up for that).

      1. Hey there,
        I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄

  8. 5 stars
    My husband loved this recipe! That means I give it 5 stars! Coconut milk is my go to now for creamy dishes. Thanks! I could have eaten the whole dish by myself. Didn’t have fennel, but it was still amazing.

    1. Hey Vicki,
      Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have great week:) xTieghan

  9. 4 stars
    Made this tonight and it was very good. I did leave out the fennel seeds as I didn’t have any. I used Nut Pods vs. the heavy cream or coconut milk, worked out great. Next time I would swap in parm cheese for the topping, add lots of mushrooms and not add spinach until later as the color get a bit drab and yucky and the spinach wilts so quickly no need to cook that long. Certainly going to make again! Great meatless meal for sure!

  10. 5 stars
    This was easy AND delicious!!! I added a container of fresh mushrooms and sliced Roma tomatoes….BEST ADDITION EVER. Didn’t change anything else about the recipe. My husband said it was one of the best dishes I’ve ever made. Going in my top 5 for sure!

    1. Hey Debbie,
      Yes, I think that would work well here. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan