- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 9 cups
- Print/save recipe
The key to light gnocchi is to not overwork the dough or add too much flour: You want pillow-like pasta that melts in your mouth with each bite. A savory mixture of mushrooms and fresh greens adds color and fresh flavor to this vegan gnocchi dish without turning it into a heavy meal. Top it all off with tangy tahini and parsley sauce, and get ready to be transported straight to an Italian trattoria. Serve this restaurant-quality meal at home when you have guests to impress!
Tip: To make ahead, prepare the recipe as directed through Step 4. Freeze gnocchi on a baking sheet and transfer frozen gnocchi to a resealable plastic bag. To prepare, drop frozen gnocchi into boiling water and continue the recipe starting at Step 5.
By Shelli McConnell,
Ingredients
- 2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon regular or sodium-free baking powder
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1½ lb. assorted fresh mushrooms, sliced (9 cups)
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach or a mix of baby spinach and arugula
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic
- Crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot; add enough water to cover. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain potatoes. Return to pot; cook over low, stirring gently, 1 to 2 minutes or until potatoes look dry. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl combine flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons water. Let stand 15 minutes. In a small bowl combine flour and baking powder; season with salt and black pepper.
- Press potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a very large bowl. Sprinkle with flour mixture and lightly toss to combine (use hands or a large silicone spatula). Add flaxseed mixture; gently toss to combine. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead just until smooth. (Do not overwork or add too much flour.) Divide dough into four portions.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; lightly dust with flour. Roll each portion into a long, thin rope ¾ to 1 inch thick. Cut into ½-inch pieces. Place pieces on prepared baking sheet. Create ridges in pieces by pressing gently with tines of fork dipped in flour.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add half of the gnocchi. Return to a simmer. When gnocchi float, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a tray or shallow baking pan. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.
- In an extra-large nonstick skillet cook mushrooms over medium, stirring occasionally, until tender and all liquid evaporates. Stir in spinach until just wilted. Add gnocchi; toss to combine. Season with salt and black pepper.
- For sauce, in a blender or small food processor combine parsley, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Blend until smooth. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce is drizzling consistency. Drizzle over gnocchi mixture. If desired, sprinkle with crushed red pepper.
Comments (31)
(5 from 15 votes)The gnocchi part of this recipe did not work well for me. The dough did not hold together well and was hard to work with for this reason. However, the mushrooms, spinach and sauce were good and I would use that with other pasta or store bought gnocchi in the future.
What GF flour would be best for this recipe? Same amount?
Sounds delicious!! I hope it will work using gluten free flour!
Mushrooms are not usually vegan due to the compost mixture they are grown from?
Are mushrooms vegan? Yes, mushrooms are completely vegan friendly. Even though they’re part of the Fungi family and not classified as vegetables, they’re entirely plant-based and considered vegan-friendly. Mushrooms can have a ‘meaty’ texture and are often used as a substitute in recipes because of this quality.
Sounds delicious and I love gnocchi. I’ve been looking for a vegan recipe. I want to try it however, I don’t have a ricer or a food mill. Will mashed potatoes work?
I used Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi (frozen) in the air fryer. I sauteed mushrooms and spinach in water and made the Tahini sauce per the recipe. Having it right now. It's very unusual and very good, but admittedly, my version didn't totally follow the recipe.
Was wondering- can GF flour be used in place of the whole wheat flour?
This is so heartwarming, really mjammie And I love the tahin sauce as well.
Used frozen gnocchi—love it!
Delicious!! It took me 2 hours in prepping, cooking and serving. The time in the kitchen was worth it very minute. One of my favorite meals… thanks Forks over Knife ;)
This is absolutely my favorite gnocchi recipe! Definitely restaurant -grade.
This was probably the best FOK recipe that I've tried. It took about 2 hours though from start to finish with prepping and cooling.
I would call yesterday's attempt at the gnocchi an unmitigated kitchen failure. No worries - I've had many culinary disasters before so settled for soup for dinner. Today I avoided the gnocchi disaster, which was sure to be a repeat, and went with a whole wheat pasta. The sauce with the infused garlic (I used 7-8 small cloves of garlic from this year's garden) was lovely and perfect with the mushrooms and the spinach. The whole wheat pasta is too heavy for the sauce, and next time will try a soba pasta - a lighter pasta. Perhaps someday, when I find someone who is proficient at WFPB gnocchi, I will try it again. All in all a rating of 4 stars, because this is a great recipe with an interesting taste with I've not come across in my WFPB journey.
I used pre-made gnocchi. Really delicious! Easy to put together.
too much preperation...I w ant to use products that can be put togther easily
Agree! Just buy premade gnocchi in grocery store, they are very good!
If you just want to buy premade gnocchi and buy premade sauce and combine them... then why, exactly, do you need a recipe?
I don’t have a ricer or food mill. Can I just mash the potatoes?
I have a gluten allergy. Can I substitute the whole wheat flour with Brown Rice or Oat flour?
Sounds delicious. What is the purpose of the flaxseed? Thank you!
Flaxseed, when mixed with water, makes a great egg substitute... and eggs used in recipes are usually used for the purpose of being a binding agent... to hold something together. I would assume the flaxseed in this recipe is to help hold the gnocci together.
Saw your post about cassava. I don't have that on hand and may not be in the market for it..... could brown rice or oat flour do?
Flax (flegg) is a binder....and healthy option for Omega 3's.
What would be a good substitute for the white wheat flour?
can you freeze or refrigerate unused dough
Hi Natalie, We haven't tried making this recipe with thawed frozen dough, so we can't attest to how that would turn out. If you're looking to do some of the prep work ahead, we recommend assembling the gnocchi first, preparing the recipe as directed through Step 4. Freeze gnocchi on a baking sheet and transfer frozen gnocchi to a resealable plastic bag. To cook, drop frozen gnocchi into boiling water and continue the recipe starting at Step 5. Thank you, Courtney Editor, Forks Over Knives
Also wondering what can be substituted for whole wheat flour. Would oat or almond flour work?
cassava works great and you don’t need the flax!
What can be substituted for the flour? I can’t have wheat.
Go to JovialFoods.com where you can buy einkorn wheat and flour. Jovial sells the best einkorn, very high quality. It is rare that someone cannot eat einkorn wheat which has never been hybridized or changed in over 10,000 years. My husband is gluten sensitive and has no problem. Even some celiacs can eat it but that particular health issue is one where you would need to exercise caution. Read the info posted on their site and discuss with your doctor to determine whether or not you should try it.