Gluten-Free Spinach Gnocchi

An incredibly versatile recipe, this Gluten-Free Spinach Gnocchi can be adapted any number of ways.

Does it have to be gluten-free? No!

Can you use something other than spinach? Absolutely!

What kind of sauce should you eat it with? Use your imagination!

Feel free to make this recipe your own.

A great benefit to this recipe is the addition of potatoes AND spinach to the dough. While I enjoy vegetables in my pasta sauce, some people, particularly some children, do not. If you or your children are particular about veggies in pasta, this is a great way to sneak vegetables into the diet. Adding the spinach also gives the added bonus of dying the pasta a vibrant green colour.

Serve this in a sauce that will let the natural green colour shine, such as a simple butter, lemon, garlic, and ricotta sauce!

Part of consuming a balanced diet is variety, and what better way to change things up than to make your pasta from scratch. During the summer, when seasonal greens are abundant, feel free to substitute the spinach in the recipe for any greens - chard, arugula, beet greens, even herbs. Additionally, if you prefer to use regular flour, a simple 1:1 substitution will do the trick! If using regular flour, it is not necessary to add an egg. You may need to use a bit extra water, however, to replace some of the liquid that the egg would have provided. Egg is necessary int he gluten-free recipe becasue it acts as a binder. Regular flour contains gluten, which will keep the dough together without the use of an additional egg.

Ingredients:

2 Russet potatoes

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend

1 cup spinach

1/4 cup water

1 tsp salt

1 egg

Directions:

Peel, boil and mash the russet potatoes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

Add your gluten-free flour to a large bowl and set aside.

Blend the spinach, water, and salt in a high-powered blender for ~1 minute, until smooth. Add the egg and blend for an additional 5-10 seconds, until just combined.

Pour spinach mixture and mashed russet potatoes into bowl with flour. Mix until there are no more dry spots. Feel free to get in there with your hands if mixing with a spoon is difficult. Shape into a ball.

Spinkle your clean work surface with flour and place dough ball on the floured surface.

Cut the dough ball into 6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a rope with your hands on the floured surface. Feel free to add an additional sprinkle of flour to your work surface if the dough is sticking.

When you have rolled out all of the dough, cut each rope into pieces ~1 inch long.

*Optional: Roll each piece of gnocchi over the prongs of a fork to get the signature rippled appearance.

Boil a pot of water and cook gnocchi in batches until it floats to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and mix with your choice of sauce. Enjoy!