The colour, the flavour, the fact that even the most avid meat-eater will happily go full vegetarian with my delicious beetroot gnocchi is definitely a reason to keep reading. Homemade gnocchi is so simple to make, great fun for the family and a sneaky way to add some extra vegetables to their diet too 😉
sponsored by Dandelion Vineyards, McLaren Vale
Why I Love This Recipe
- wow factor
- can be made in advance/frozen
- it's delicious
- great fun for the family
As my daughter gets older she is getting more and more interested in cooking with me in the kitchen. Seeing as my wife doesn't cook at all I'm looking at this as an opportunity for me to not have to keep cooking every day of my life 😉 Little Miss AnotherFoodBlogger loves getting stuck into making pasta, gnocchi and homemade bread. Hmmmmm, maybe it's just carbs she is after!
Beetroot gnocchi or any gnocchi is a great dish to make with the family. They can all get stuck into shaping the gnocchi (which makes the job WAY easier).
What Is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi is often considered pasta. Typically, it is on the menu in the pasta section but gnocchi is actually a potato dumpling. Well, this is where it can get a little confusing too. In Northern Italy, they consider it a dumpling whereas in Southern Italy they consider it pasta. Another confusing thing is there is a pasta shape called 'gnochetti' which has similar shapes to how gnocchi is formed #confusing
Either way, my tasty beetroot gnocchi is definitely one that will impress your fellow diners so why not whip a batch up!
Making Beet Gnocchi
The basis of gnocchi is in potatoes, flour, salt & egg. In my beetroot gnocchi version, we substitute some of the potatoes for roasted and pureed beets.
Start by cooking your beets & potatoes. This can be done by
- roasting them (wrapped in foil) in the oven
- in the microwave
- boiling them (just the potatoes)
I find that the microwave works the quickest and gives you good results!
Next, peel and mash up the potatoes using a potato ricer, then lay them out to cool and for the steam to evaporate. You want dry potatoes so keep the % of flour low and they don't become too doughy. Peel and puree the beets.
Once the potato mix is cool enough to handle, in a bowl add the egg, beetroot puree & flour, 1/2 a cup at a time. Gently combine and pour out onto a well-floured surface. Knead it gently being careful not to overwork it. This will release more of the starch and leave you with doughy beet gnocchi.
Divide the gnocchi mix into small balls and roll out into logs - about 1/2" - 3/4" thick, next slice them into 3/4"-1" pieces and you can either shape them with your hands, roll them over a gnocchi board or use the back of a fork to make the shapes
Store on a floured tray and use within a couple hours or cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to use that evening.
Kale Pesto
One of my favourite pestos to make - tons of flavour and packed with healthy veg too! The basis of pesto is traditionally toasted pinenuts, garlic, lemon, parmesan cheese and oil. After that, you can play around and add basil (traditional), rocket & walnut or in this case kale for a delicious healthy pesto to pair with the beet gnocchi
Tips, Tricks & FAQ's
The best tip I can give when cooking is to start with a clean work surface. Read the recipe first and have all your ingredients to hand! Yes, it will probably take a little longer to make the recipe the first time around BUT it will set you up for success and the next time you whip up beetroot gnocchi you will know what steps you can take to speed it up for you 😉
You sure can! The trick to freezing beetroot gnocchi or any gnocchi is to lay the gnocchi pieces individually on a tray and freeze them. Once frozen, you can place them in a ziplock bag to store them easier. When cooking frozen gnocchi just chuck them into a boiling pot of salted water and cook them for approx 2 minutes longer than fresh!
Think root vegetables when it comes to making gnocchi. You want something that has a certain level of starch and that isn't too "runny". Carrots & pumpkin are two vegetables that spring to mind. Why not smoke the pumpkin for a whole other level of deliciousness
Not a fan of goat cheese and looking for an alternative. Parmesan is always a classic on gnocchi & pasta but for something a little different you could try feta, ricotta or even some labneh - check out my recipe HERE
Beetroot Gnocchi Wine Pairing
For those of you following my blog or my Instagram page, you will have noticed wines from Dandelion Vineyards popping up a few times. At this stage, I have been fortunate enough to taste through most of their range. I'm yet to be disappointed and can't wait to create dishes to pair with them now and for future vintages too. The current theme is using vegetables grown in their garden at Firehawk Farm - soon to be home to their brand new cellar door so keep your eyes peeled there!
This was the first time I got to try their Damsel of Barossa Merlot. In fact, it has been a while since I drank a straight merlot! Well, I may just be jumping back on the merlot train!
Blueberries, cola, herbal notes, woody spices and the right amount of acid. Fine tannins, good length and an all-around easy-drinking number. It pairs beautifully with the salty notes from the beetroot gnocchi and lends itself all too easily to opening a second bottle 😉
Other Gnocchi Recipes
Inspired by my beetroot gnocchi and feel like whipping up a few other options? Check out these recipes below for some inspiration!
Pan-Fried Gnocchi w/ Cherry Tomato Sauce by Helen Schofield of 'Scrummy Lane'
Gnocchi Carbonara by Yours Truly
Gnocchi Alla Romana by Alexandra Cook of 'It's Not Complicated Recipes'
Dead Easy Gluten-Free Ricotta Gnocchi by Allison Jones of Electric Vitality
Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends!!
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 750 g potatoes
- 250 g beets
- 1.5-2 cups flour
- Salt
- 1 egg yolk
Pesto
- 75 g kale
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp pinenuts
- 15 g grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 130-150 ml olive oil
Other
- 2 tbsp pinenuts - toasted
- 100 g goats cheese
- 1 knob butter
Essential Tools
- Chef Knives
- Chopping board
- measuring/weighing utensils
- potato ricer
- Blender
- frying pan
- microwave
- saucepan
Instructions
Gnocchi
- Wash the beets and potatoes
- Prick all over with a knife/fork
- Microwave potatoes for 10-20 minutes size depending (make the pesto)
- Microwave beets with about 1 inch of water for 10-20 minutes size depending
- As the beets are cooking peel the potatoes, dice and mash using a potato ricer
- Allow the beets to cool a little, peel and blend in food processor with egg yolk and salt until smooth
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and beet mixture and gradually add the flour ½ cup at a time
- Once the dough isn’t too sticky then pour out onto a well-floured surface, knead until smooth but be careful not to overwork it as the gluten will make the gnocchi dense and chewy
- Divide the ball into 4 pieces and roll each piece out into a log about 1/2 - 3/4 “ thick
- Slice the gnocchi into ¾ - 1” pieces and toss in flour to stop them from sticking
Pesto
- Toast the pinenuts in a dry frying pan until golden – careful as they will burn quickly
- Place all ingredients in a food processor (except oil) and blend
- Gradually add the oil until it’s the consistency you want it to be
- Store in the fridge until ready to use
Cooking Gnocchi
- Boil the gnocchi in heavily salted water for about 3 minutes or until gnocchi is floating
- In a frying pan heat up some butter and allow to cook for about 30 seconds on medium heat – the butter will brown and have a nutty taste
- Add cooked gnocchi and toss in butter for 1 minute
- Add some pesto and toss the gnocchi in pesto
- Serve with a smear of pesto on the plate, more toasted pinenuts and some goat cheese
Notes
Tips/Tricks
- if you don’t have a microwave you can roast the beets and potatoes in the oven – this typically takes about 45mins – 1 hour to do
- the pesto will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge but the colour will deteriorate overtime
- you can just toss the gnocchi in pesto after boiling them if you don’t want to fry them
- gnocchi is best used within a couple hours of making it. Alternatively, you can freeze them by lying them on a baking tray and place in the freezer. Once frozen, you can transfer to a ziplock bag. Cooking will take a few minutes longer when frozen
You are amazing! When will you publish all your wonderful works of love in a hard cover book?
Patricia Panfili
Good Q - when a publishing company comes knocking on my door. Do you know one?
Gorgeous to look at, and absolutely delicious!
Thanks Alex - glad you like it!