Made with a blend of cauliflower and potato, these gnocchi are baked to be light, fluffy, slightly crispy and a great serving of vegetables.
These Grain Free Cauliflower Gnocchi with Parmesan, are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Enjoy an Italian classic without all the gluten and starch.
I started to think about how I could make a grain-free gnocchi with fewer carbs. I already knew that cauliflower is a great way to reduce the carb load in mashed potatoes, from my Paleo Shepherd’s Pie recipe.
So I thought, maybe I could replace some of the potatoes with cauliflower. However, I worried that cauliflower gnocchi would fall apart when I boiled it, because it would not have enough starch (glue) to hold it together.
Then I saw a recipe where the gnocchi is baked instead of boiled. Eureka! Once I realized that I didn’t have to boil the gnocchi, I was ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.
This gnocchi is slightly crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside. My family calls it “Gnocchi Fries”. I have to stand guard when this comes out of the oven, because everyone snatches off of the baking sheet.
Like traditional gnocchi, this freezes well, so you can make it ahead of time and serve at a later date. To freeze, spread out the cooked gnocchi (so that they are not touching each other) onto a baking sheet, making sure the gnocchi is cooled to at least room temperature first. Cover with foil and place in the freezer. When the gnocchi is frozen solid, transfer to a plastic Ziploc bag with the air removed.
You could also wrap it tightly in foil and then place in a plastic bag. Defrost the gnocchi in the refrigerator, and then reheat with whatever sauce you want to use.
Made with a blend of cauliflower and potato, this gnocchi is baked to be light, fluffy, slightly crispy and a great serving of vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
1 baked russet potato (about 5” x 3”)
1 head cauliflower ((about 4 cups of florets))
2 Tbs tapioca flour
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp kosher salt
about 1 Tbs olive oil for brushing/spraying
Instructions
Bake one medium size russet potato in a 350-degree oven, until skin is crisp but inside feels soft, about 1 hour.
Cut cauliflower into florets (about 4 cups), and steam until very soft, about 25 minutes. Strain well.
If not already grated, you can add your parmesan cheese to a food processor and and process with the blade attachment, until it is the texture of coffee grounds. Remove grated cheese and reserve.
Working in batches, use a potato ricer to squeeze/wring the water out of the cauliflower, but don’t push the cauliflower through.
Place the squeezed cauliflower into the food processor bowl. Add egg, egg yolk, salt and parmesan cheese. Process with the blade attachment to form a smooth purée. Add tapioca flour and process until just incorporated.
Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.
When potato is done cooking, remove it from the oven, and turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees.
Cut the potato in half and scoop half of the flesh into the potato ricer. If the potato is to hot to handle, you can let it cool or use clean kitchen gloves.
Press the potato flesh through the ricer over the cauliflower mixture. Repeat with the other half of the potato.
Stir mixture together with a fork. Do NOT process the potato with a food processor; it will make the potatoes gummy.
Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely coat the parchment paper with olive oil using a Misto Sprayer or a pastry brush.
Scoop half of the cauliflower/potato mixture into a Ziploc bag (I found it easier to work in two batches). Cut one corner of the bag, about the width of a pinky finger, or approximately ½”.
Pipe rows of the gnocchi onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
To make little groves in your gnocchi, lightly drag a fork across the top if each gnocchi. Spray/brush the gnocchi with olive oil.
Bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes. All ovens are different, so keep an eye on this.
The gnocchi should be golden with some dark spots, but not brown.
Dress the gnocchi to your liking. I like to melt some Grass Fed Herb Butter in a pan, toss the gnocchi with it, and season to taste with some salt and pepper.
Prep Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Category:Appetizer, comfort food/ pasta, Gnocchi, Main Course, Primi
Cuisine:American-Italian, Italian-Inspired
carolinelamorte
Caroline LaMorte is the author of the food blog awholenewtwist.com. A home cook with strong Paleo leanings, her food is often grain-free, it is usually gluten-free, and it is always unprocessed. She loves to sing, ski, and entertain large gatherings. She lives Connecticut with her husband, her two sons, and their neurotic Black Lab.
Yes, cauliflower gnocchi can be a healthier choice because it uses a vegetable that's less starchy than potatoes, says Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN, Nutrition Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute. "Non-starchy veggies are lower in carbs but often higher in fiber, which can help you stay fuller, longer," she says.
Tipo 00 Flour is a soft, fine milled flour from Italy. It's a must-have for light and tender gnocchi and homemade pasta. Small(er) Batch Recipe ensures a higher success rate with just enough practice.
Gnocchi is one of my very favorite foods and traditionally it's a soft dough made from potatoes, flour and eggs that's cut into delicious little dumplings then boiled or pan-fried. Trader Joe's version trades potatoes for cauliflower, all-purpose flour (not GF) for cassava flour (GF), and egg for, well, no egg.
The directions on the back of the bag instructs you to either boil or saute your gnocchi which does not work with the cauliflower version – it leaves you with very mushy gnocchi. One day I decided to try and roast it instead to get a crisp on it (the way I love my gnocchi).
Compared with traditional potato gnocchi, Trader Joe's frozen cauliflower gnocchi shaves off almost 90 calories per cup (140 vs. 227) and has less than half the carbs (22 vs. 48) and 2 grams more fiber (6 grams).
Don't overwork the dough: When making gnocchi dough, it's important not to overwork it. Overworking the dough can make the gnocchi tough and chewy. Mix the ingredients together just until the dough comes together, and then stop mixing! You're not kneading bread here.
If the gnocchi fall apart or appear to be fraying at the edges, it can mean one of two things: You let them cook for too long or, even worse, you didn't combine the potato and flour into true dough. In the latter case, it's back to square one.
When cool enough to handle, scrape off the skins and push the potato through a ricer or food mill, then, while still warm, start working your dough on a floured work surface. (Here, Davies offers up another tip to fight the mush: “Spread out the mash to cool; the escaping steam will further take away any moisture.”)
TJ's cauliflower version is gluten-free, like most gnocchi varieties, but it's also egg-free, making it uber allergy-friendly. TJ's cauliflower gnocchi is popular for its versatility, pleasant taste and texture, and convenience.
The simple answer is yes — potatoes are gluten-free. Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. Potatoes aren't grains, they're a type of starchy vegetable. That's good news for people who can't tolerate gluten because they have celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Because the veggie-based dish doesn't have wheat, sugar, dairy, or eggs, the cauliflower gnocchi carries all of the comforting goodness of classic gnocchi with less carbs, fat, and calories.
While both ricotta gnocchi and gnudi are dumplings made with ricotta cheese, gnudi are made with a minimal amount of flour. They're larger and fluffier than ricotta gnocchi. And, ricotta gnocchi are a bit more substantial in texture.
TJ's cauliflower gnocchi is an Instagram favorite. WW members embraced it in 2019 by tracking a one-cup serving more than 150,000 times. At just 4 PersonalPoints, it's a worthwhile way to spend your Budget.
The low-carb, gluten-free product is so popular that many shoppers struggle to find it on shelves despite it being stocked at every Trader Joe's location because stores are often sold out. According to Trader Joe's, its cauliflower gnocchi is made of 75% cauliflower, grown in Italy.
Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.
Overall this product is a great addition to your freezer as a back up to fresh food. Good taste & easy to prepare for a weeknight meal. The smaller packets make them easy to fit in your freezer & fast to cook, make them a last minute winner. Cauliflower gnocchi is almost the new pommes puff!
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