If you haven't tried roasting gnocchi yet, this is your sign. Forget boiling - everything goes into a single tray - gnocchi straight from the packet, earthy Swiss brown mushrooms, baby spinach, lemon zest, and parmigiano reggiano - and the oven does the rest.
The result is golden, glossy, and packed full of flavour. The swiss brown mushrooms roast down into something deeply savoury, the gnocchi turns golden at the edges without ever touching a pot of boiling water, and a generous finish of parmigiano and fresh lemon brings it all together.
It's the sort of recipe that looks after itself - minimal hands-on time, one tray to wash, and a result that's a little better than you might expect for the effort involved. Simple enough for a weeknight, and easy enough to scale up when you need to feed a crowd.
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Ingredients
Nut-free 
15 minutes preparation time + 25 minutes cooking time 
4 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 30g salted butter
- 1 large shallot, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 500g Swiss brown mushrooms, stalks trimmed and thinly sliced
- 500g store-bought fresh gnocchi
- 1 large lemon, zest and half the juice
- 60ml cold water
- 120g baby spinach
- 40g parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
- Fine sea salt, flakey sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C.
- Build the tray: In a large, deep-sided baking tray, combine the extra virgin olive oil, salted butter, shallot, thyme leaves, garlic cloves, and Swiss brown mushrooms with a good pinch of fine sea salt. Toss well to coat. Add the gnocchi, lemon zest, 60ml cold water, and half the parmigiano reggiano. Stir everything together, then spread the mixture out evenly across the tray. Bring some of the mushrooms to the top of the mixture - they will crisp up beautifully in the oven.
- First roast: Roast for 10 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven. Give everything a good stir, add the baby spinach, and stir again to combine. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
- Finish in the oven: Remove from the oven, stir again, then sprinkle over the remaining parmigiano reggiano. Return to the oven for a final 5 minutes, until the parmigiano is melted and the gnocchi are golden.
- Season and serve: Remove from the oven and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon. Taste and season with flakey sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed. Serve straight from the tray.
NOTES
Mushrooms: Resist the urge to stir too early in the first roast - leaving them undisturbed helps them colour and crisp at the edges rather than steam.
Gnocchi: Store-bought fresh gnocchi goes straight into the tray from the packet - no need to boil it first. The water in the recipe and moisture from the mushrooms creates just enough steam in the oven to cook it through.
Lemon: Don't skip the squeeze at the end - it lifts the whole dish and cuts through the richness of the butter and parmigiano.
Make it a meal: This is substantial enough on its own, but a simple green salad alongside makes it feel a little more complete.
Swaps: Swiss brown mushrooms have great depth of flavour here, but any mushroom works well - portobello, button, or a mix of whatever you have. Just make sure they are sliced thinly so they cook through evenly.
Cheese: Parmigiano reggiano is worth using here if you can - it melts well and has a sharpness that balances the butter nicely. Grana padano is a good substitute, or pecorino if you want something punchier.
Leftovers: Reheat in the oven with a splash of water until warned through.
