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Chickpea, Spinach & Squash Gnocchi
Chickpea, Spinach & Squash Gnocchi
22 Reviews
From: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2010
Currants add a surprising touch of sweetness to this simple sauté of chickpeas, spinach, squash and gnocchi. We prefer the texture of shelf-stable gnocchi, but if sodium is an issue for you, opt for frozen instead. Serve with a glass of chardonnay.
- By: EatingWell Test Kitchen
Ingredients 4 servings
for serving adjustment
Serving size has been adjusted!
Original recipe yields 4 servings
Nutrition per serving may change if servings are adjusted.
- 1 pound frozen or shelf-stable gnocchi
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced peeled butternut squash or unpeeled delicata squash (1- to 2-inch-long slices)
- ½ cup sliced shallots (1-2 medium)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons currants
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 8 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar reduction or 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (see Note)
Preparation
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Active
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Ready In
- If using frozen gnocchi, cook in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, rinse and pat dry. (If using shelf-stable gnocchi, skip this step.)
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, squash, shallots and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, currants, sage and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring, until the squash is almost cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spinach, chickpeas and the gnocchi and cook, gently stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Serve drizzled with balsamic reduction (or balsamic vinegar).
- Note: Balsamic vinegar reduction, simply balsamic vinegar that is cooked down until thick and syrupy, is sometimes called balsamic glaze or balsamic drizzle. Look for it with other vinegars in well-stocked supermarkets. Or make it yourself: Bring 1 cup balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until syrupy and reduced to about ¼ cup, 10 to 14 minutes. (Watch the syrup carefully in the last few minutes of reducing to prevent burning.)
- Serving size: 1½ cups
- Per serving: 485 calories; 6 g fat(1 g sat); 9 g fiber; 92 g carbohydrates; 15 g protein; 186 mcg folate; 0 mg cholesterol; 9 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 11,272 IU vitamin A; 35 mg vitamin C; 170 mg calcium; 6 mg iron; 619 mg sodium; 729 mg potassium
- Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (225% daily value), Vitamin C (58% dv), Folate (46% dv), Iron (33% dv)
- Carbohydrate Servings: 6
- Exchanges: 5 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat
Reviews 22
September 28, 2015
By: EatingWell User
Yummy
Substituted dried cranberries for the currants as I couldn't find them. It worked very well. I also used salt and pepper to season the gnocchi as I was browning them, and salted the veggies when I was sauteeing them. I think those who think the dish is too sweet might find this helpful, with added salt it was perfectly balanced.
Pros: Great flavors
Cons: Add more salt
October 24, 2014
By: HealthyGEO
Everyone loved it!
I followed the recipe as it was but used cranberries instead of currants and it came out great!
The last reviewer didn't enjoy it but maybe their gnocchi wasn't good? Or some of the ingredients weren't fresh? It was absolutely delicious for us. I grated some Parmesan cheese on it and drizzled some good quality balsamic vinegar and it was all eaten up in a flash! Will definitely make this again for a quick healthy week-night meal.
Pros: Super easy and healthy
Cons: none
April 03, 2014
By: EatingWell User
I wouldn't make this
It was terrible at best. Everything in it we love but all together was just awful. Never again will I waste good ingredients on this dish. Such a disappointment. I'm still wondering how it got such great reviews.
December 18, 2012
By: EatingWell User
Easy, savory dish with abundance of good veggies
This was delicious and it helped me finally get my husband to eat veggies (he didn't even miss the meat)! I'm not an accomplished cook by any means, so I always pay close attention to the reviews to learn from others. Here's my two cents sauteed recipe:
I sauteed the gnocchi in the pan longer than the recipe said to get it nice and toasty, probably close to 10 minutes. I think this helped maintain its texture once all the liquid was added.
Currants - couldn't find them, dried or fresh. Ended up using dried Craisen brand cherries. It worked!
I used all of the vegetable stock - it cooked down into a nice sauce, and I didn't have a problem with anything being too mushy.
As much as I love balsamic vinegar, I did NOT like the balsamic reduction - it was far too sweet and overpowered the rest of the dish in my opinion. We ate the leftovers the next day without the reduction and it was 10x better.
I'll definitely make this again!
Pros: Unique combo of flavors - a tasty departure from the norm
Cons: I didn't like the balsamic - too sweet. It's much better without it
October 18, 2012
By: EatingWell User
So great!!
Oh my goodness! This was lovely! And don't you dare substitute the balsamic with hot sauce...As I was cooking, I kept stealing tastes here and there and it was good, but with the balsamic reduction, it was truly amazing. I added a bit of ground ginger but other than that I made no changes. Definitely making this again.
September 02, 2012
By: EatingWell User
I didn't like some of the ingredients as written so...
I changed/substituted quite a few things. I left out the currants completely (since many said the dish was too sweet), added some salt, and made the following substitutions:
-sweet potato for squash
-spinach/arugula blend for spinach
-cilantro (added at the same time as the spinach) for sage
-chicken broth for veggie broth
-hot sauce for balsamic reduction
The hubby and I LOVE this dish with our changes. The arugula helped with the sweetness issue and the hot sauce really finished the dish off nicely. We will definitely make this again.
Pros: easy to substitute ingredients based on personal taste, quick
November 15, 2011
By: EatingWell User
Gourmet At Home
I made this last night adding 1/2 pound pork apple sausage, using only 1 package of gluten-free gnocchi, and topping with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. The flavors were delicious and it was relatively easy. I also only used 1 cup of vegetable broth. Make sure to cut the squash into thin strips, otherwise it will take longer to cook. You could also roast it first, then simply bring it to temperature.
Pros: Good Flavor Profile
October 24, 2011
By: sarahhuzzah
Hearty and Delicious!
A fantastic fall meal; filling, warming and tasty. I like the touch of sweetness from the currants and will add more next time. Make sure the toast the gnocchi well and not over-cook the squash to keep from getting the texture monotony that others mentioned. The only thing I might change in the future is the chickpeas. Not sure what I would sub . . . perhaps I will just use fewer of them. I felt they overwhelmed the other flavors a bit, which isn't good since they are a bit bland. Overall, I loved this dish and will make it again.
October 21, 2011
By: misserinann
ok, but not better than ok
I love each ingredient separately, but this recipe fails to create a cohesive flavor. It's ok, tastes good enough. But I don't think I will ever make it again.
Pros: Lots of veggies
Cons: Incompatible flavors
