Spinach Gnocchi

This is another recipe from the Weelicious cookbook (it’s also on the blog). I was looking specifically for a vegetable side dish that the Little Prince would eat. He’s at that age where he wants to feed himself, but doesn’t have any molars and can’t handle utensils properly, so it can be challenging. These gnocchi were described as perfect for the occasion, and I can corroborate that they are! They were very good, and the Little Prince just plowed through them. I could have made them lactose-free if I had made my own ricotta, but I didn’t have time. I used Lactaid for the ones I ate, but the Little Prince doesn’t have a problem with lactose, so I figured it was okay to cut myself some slack. I got a total of 43 gnocchi and served them with chicken teriyaki.

1 10-oz. block frozen chopped spinach
1 cup lactose-free whole milk ricotta cheese (see note above)
2/3 cup parmesan cheese, plus 2 Tbsp. for sprinkling before serving
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. flour, plus more for dusting your hands while rolling

Defrost the brick of frozen spinach (you can also do this in the microwave). Squeeze ALL (and I mean ALL) of the water out of the spinach in small handfuls (I use my hands and paper towels, and do it over a bowl to make sure I don’t lose any spinach).

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse. You want to make sure the spinach is in tiny pieces and the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Dust your hands with a little flour so the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands. Take 1 teaspoon of the spinach mixture and roll into tiny balls. Place on a plate covered with waxed paper or parchment. (At this point, you can transfer the sheet to the freezer for 30 minutes, then place the gnocchi in a Ziploc bag for up to 4 months. Thaw to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi to the water in batches and cook for 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi to a plate or bowl. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, cool and serve.