Creamy Parmesan & Basil Baked Gnocchi with Spinach - {Progresso Recipe Starters}

I admit it.  I love cooking from scratch.  I love the challenge of (sometimes) getting it right, know exactly what’s in the food that I make and, I also like the chance to make things a little bit healthier, like with my Healthified Alfredo, Bechamel and Hollandaise sauces.   But with a grown child and a job that allows me to work from home, I now have the luxury of time that I didn’t have when The Young Prince was little.  Being a single mother and working fulltime, back then I would have killed to have products like Progresso Recipe Starters on hand so I was thrilled when they sent me a kit with all the various sauces and asked me to come up with recipes to share with you!   I was even more pleased when they arrived and I saw that not only could I pronounce every ingredient listed, the nutritional information was something I was very comfortable with as well.    Considering ample size of the can (the can says 4 servings but I’ve been getting 6-8 servings from all the dishes I’ve created so far), it makes for a very reasonable substitution for the making these kinds of sauces from scratch.  I’m a fan.

There are 5 amazing sauces in the Recipe Starters line (Cheese, Mushroom, Garlic, Parmesan-Basil and Tomato) and whether you use them as-is or as a base for your own sauce creation, they help turn any “Sunday Supper” into delicious meal quick enough to make on any weeknight!   Each can comes with a recipe and logging on to the Recipe Secrets website gives you additional easy recipes your family will love!

I’ll be posting a recipe (or more!) for each variety of the sauce so please check back in the coming days to get more recipes featuring these little gems, like my Weeknight Chicken Pot Pie with Herbed Biscuits and Easy Cheesy Macaroni with Ham and Peas, just to name a couple!  But let’s kick it off with a new favorite, Creamy Parmesan & Basil Baked Gnocchi with Spinach!  

I apologize for the poor pictures.  It was already dark outside and my friend
and I were STARVING so it was a snap-and-go photo!

Creamy Parmesan & Basil Baked Gnocchi with Spinach

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 (1-pound) packages potato gnocchi

1 can Progresso Recipe Starters Creamy Parmesan Basil Cooking Sauce

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

1 (12oz bag) fresh baby spinach leaves, long stems removed

4oz ricotta cheese (I used skim but use whichever one you like)

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400˚.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, heat the cooking sauce and bring slowly to a low boil.  Stir in the garlic and pepper continue to cook until the cooking sauce reduces slightly and thickens, about 6 minutes.  Add the spinach to the thickened sauce and toss to coat all the leaves.   Add the gnocchi (straight from the package) to the sauce and spinach mixture stir gently to coat the gnocchi evenly.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and additional pepper if desired.

Pour the gnocchi and sauce mixture into a lightly greased (9 x 12-inch) baking pan.

Top with dollops of ricotta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

MAKE IT A MEAL:  Add diced cooked chicken or ham and serve with a fresh green salad.

*Disclaimer – I was provided this product from Progresso to review, but I was not compensated in any way for my review.  The thoughts and opinions posted here are 100% my own.  I will always only share products with you that I believe in and will use in my own home.