Gnocchi with Spinach, Chickpeas and Tomatoes

I was working on a test recipe last night (to be published in a colleague’s upcoming cookbook!) and decided to make gnocchi the main part of the meal. I’ve never had a gnocchi dish I didn’t enjoy, have you? Store-bought, shelf-stable gnocchi are so easy to use and they’re both pillowy soft and dense all in one bite. They cook up in only a few minutes, and can make any drab pasta dish a bit more appealing.

Just when I didn’t think gnocchi could get any better, it did: I found a whole wheat version at Trader Joe’s. I bought a package weeks ago without a recipe in mind because I was afraid if I didn’t snag it then and there, I’d risk never finding it again. This whole wheat gnocchi is not only vegan (no egg!) but it boasts an impressive 8g of fiber per serving! And it doesn’t have a gritty whole wheat texture. Nope, it still cooks up light and fluffy like the regular ‘ol kind.

I keep coming across homemade gnocchi recipes, and one of these days I swear I’ll make it from scratch. But in the meantime, I’ll use the shelf-stable kind in simple and satisfying recipes like this one:

Ingredients

• 1 pound shelf-stable whole wheat gnocchi
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Preparation

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi until they float, 3 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chickpeas and tomatoes and cook, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat.
4. Add spinach and cook, gently stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Speaking of chickpeas…remember my post the other day about Cinque e’ Cinque? Well the nice people at Lucini Italia are going to send some goodies to a lucky blog reader! All you have to do is leave me a comment sharing your favorite way to enjoy chickpeas and a winner will be randomly chosen on Friday. Want to increase your odds? If you tweet about this giveaway, leave me another comment letting me know. Good luck!