Gnocchi with Fresh Spinach and Lemon

By now you all know that I LOVE gnocchi. It's so fun and comforting to eat and I just love coming up with new and exciting ways to enjoy it. This dish is satisfying and has a great fresh flavor. This would work well any time of the year.

Gnocchi with Fresh Spinach and Lemon

Ingredients:
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 1 lemon
- 2 cups fresh spinach (remove stems)
 -1 cup vegetable (or chicken) stock
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 onion, minced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- crushed red pepper flakes
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
To Make:

Start by salting a pot of boiling water and cooking the gnocchi according to package directions. Take out 1 minute before they are done (because we'll be finishing them in the sauce) and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

In the meantime, saute in a large sauce pan the onions and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add in the cooked gnocchi and the 1/2 cup pasta water. Next add in the cup of stock and the Parmesan cheese. Mix together and cook for several minutes until the sauce gets thick. Grate in 1 tsp of lemon zest.Add in all spices. Mix together. Cook on medium heat.

Finally, add in the fresh spinach and mix together until the spinach is just wilted. Top with fresh lemon zest and extra Parmesan cheese. ENJOY!

Feel-Good Gnocchi

Rainy days, bad days, tired days, sad days...happy days, peaceful days... gnocchi is my go-to meal. It's hearty, filling, comforting and just down-right delicious. I like to throw in some healthy vegetables so I'm really making this an all-around fantastic meal.

Ingredients:
- 1 package gnocchi
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1.5 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 6 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- olive oil
- 1 cup water (from the pasta)
- Parmesan cheese
- crushed red pepper
- oregano
- paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Boil SALTED water in a large pot and cook the gnocchi until they all float to the top.

In the meantime in a deep saute pan, drizzle olive oil and cook the onions and garlic for 4 minutes on medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the frozen vegetables and more olive oil. Mix together and saute for about 5 minutes. Next, add in the diced tomatoes, (make sure they are finely diced and not too chunky). Season liberally with salt and pepper and add 1.5 teaspoons of paprika, oregano, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Add in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, mix together and cover, let this simmer together for about 8 minutes.

Once the gnocchi float to the top, scoop them out and into the vegetable mixture. Also, add in about 1 cup of water if the mixture gets too dry. Let the gnocchi simmer on medium heat in the mixture for about 5 minutes. Add more cheese if desired.

Serve immediately and with extra cheese on top.