Classic potato gnocchis always feel so labour-intensive and easy to mess up, so unless I know I’ve got the right potato variety, I don’t make them. But vegetable-based gnocchis, like these beet-flavored ones, are easy enough even for a novice. They have a subtle taste and a delicate, airy texture, making them perfect for a light dinner with a side salad. Here I serve them drizzled with olive oil and parmesan, but you could also top them with fresh herb pesto and some pine nuts. I It’s a very nutrient-dense meal thanks to the iron and folate-rich beets and protein-packed cottage cheese. They can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge a few hours until you are ready to boil them. Oh and they are gluten-free!
Note: If you want to avoid getting unicorn mauve-colored gnocchis and prefer a deep purple hue, get little organic beets as they usually give a much darker tint.
Ingredients
- 1 big or 2 small beetroots, boiled, skinned and cubed
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan for the recipe + 1/4 cup to serve
- 1/4 cup creamy goat chees
- 1/4 cup gluten free flour for the gnocchi and 1/2 cup to dust them
- 2 tbsp corn flour or potato flour
- Salt, pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil or melted clarified butter
- 2 tsp chopped chives or basil
Instructions
- In a blender, mix beetroot, the cheeses until smooth
- Add flours, salt and pepper. Blend for an extra 15-30 seconds.
- Place covered in a bowl in the fridge for 2 hours
- When the beetroot cheese paste is ready, take it out
- Put a large pot of salted water to boil
- Meanwhile, put the 1/2 cup of flour in a small bowl
- With 2 teaspoons, shape a little ball the size of a walnut with the gnocchi batter and dip it in the flower bowl. Toss it around until covered and then place on a clean baking sheet or cutting board. Repeat until there is no more batter left.
- Drop the gnocchis one by one in the pot and leave them 1 to 2 minutes or until they float up. Take them out with a slotted spoon
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or melted clarified butter and topped with chopped herbs, parmesan and freshly ground pepper
