Healthy Smoked Salmon Gnocchi (Printer-friendly)

Pillowy gnocchi with silky smoked salmon in a vibrant cream sauce with fresh herbs and greens.

# What You'll Need:

→ Gnocchi

01 - 1.1 lbs whole wheat or potato gnocchi, store-bought or homemade

→ Sauce & Vegetables

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
05 - 3.5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 0.4 cup low-fat crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
07 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Smoked Salmon

10 - 5.3 oz smoked salmon, sliced into strips

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
12 - Extra lemon wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gnocchi and cook according to package directions until they float to the surface, approximately 2–3 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - While water heats, warm olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and chopped shallot, sautéing for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
03 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until just wilted but still vibrant, about 1 minute.
04 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in crème fraîche or Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well combined. Season with salt, black pepper, and half of the chopped dill.
05 - Add cooked gnocchi to the skillet, tossing gently to coat evenly in the sauce. Allow everything to warm through for 1–2 minutes, stirring carefully to avoid breaking the gnocchi.
06 - Remove skillet from heat. Fold in smoked salmon strips, allowing residual warmth to gently heat the salmon without cooking it further.
07 - Divide the gnocchi mixture among four serving plates. Sprinkle evenly with remaining dill and fresh chives. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The creamy sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something you would order at a nice Italian restaurant
  • You get all the luxury of smoked salmon without any heavy cream or complicated techniques
  • The whole dish hits the table in under 30 minutes but looks like you spent much longer on it
02 -
  • Never add the smoked salmon while the pan is still over direct heat or it will become tough and rubbery
  • The lemon juice might make the sauce look slightly grainy at first but keep stirring and it will smooth out beautifully
03 -
  • Pat the smoked salmon dry with paper towels before adding so it does not water down your sauce
  • Reserve a splash of gnocchi cooking water to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick

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