Beet Gnocchi

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This recipe for gnocchi is one of my family’s favorite meals. The Gnocchi pasta has a cloudlike texture and is a textural heaven when seared on a pan.

It is easy to freeze a lot of gnocchi for later use. I make gnocchi pasta often so I have different versions of this dish. Sometimes I use basil pesto, butternut squash puree, a traditional red sauce, or a creamy plant based “cheese” sauce. I love freezing my pasta and having a go-to dish that is easy to prepare for a busy schedule. 

I love this recipe because it includes beets and spinach. These plants have iron-rich nutrition for good health.

Try this Recipe!

BEETROOT GNOCCHI

INGREDIENTS

Beetroot gnocchi:

• 9 oz beetroot
• 4 oz boiled potato
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp unsweetened nut milk
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup additional flour for kneading the dough

Pan-fried:

• 150g of shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 100g spinach (I used butternut squash puree in the picture)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 carrots cut into small dice
• 2 ounces of sweet peas
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of Basil
• Pinch of Lemon zest

PREPARATION

1.  Cover beets in oil and a generous amount of salt and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 50 to 60 minutes. (I used 400 degrees ~ slow and sure is best.) Boil potatoes.
2. Boil a large pot of water with a tsp of salt. In a food processor, add roasted beet, potato, nut milk, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and pulse until smooth. Transfer mixture into a large bowl & add flour. Using a large spoon, stir to combine. Knead with your hands for a few minutes until a soft dough forms. The goal is for the dough to not be sticky so it can be malleable. Place dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out sections of the dough into long “snakes”. With a sharp knife, cut into 1-inch “pillows”. Roll the pillows on a fork to form ridges in the dough (Optional, I just rolled them into spheres in the picture.) 
3. In a large pot of boiling water carefully drop in gnocchi. Once they have risen to the surface of the water, cook for a further minute. Remove, drain and set aside.*
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown. Add the gnocchi and cook, tossing occasionally. Add garlic, then add spinach and cook until wilted.
5. Garnish with Basil and lemon zest.

*If you are making a lot of gnocchi for later use you must cool and oil all the finished gnocchi. If you forget to oil them they may all stick together. If you cool them in an ice bath and strain, it helps them not overcook and become gummy.

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Recipe compliments of

Juan’s intentions are to use his culinary background to help make flavorful and well prepared nourishing meals for the community. He believes in food that is full of flavor, nourishment, relatability, and accessibility. Juan is also an herbalist practicing a holistic approach to healing and medicine. He offers plant based meal planning, postpartum meal delivery, and culinary/herbalism education.

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