Toasted Cauliflower Gnocchi

When I think of gnocchi, I generally think of a delicious combination of potato and flour cooked in brown butter (how my mom and Gramma love to make them), not of cauliflower. That was until I gave Toasted Cauliflower Gnocchi a try.

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I find that the best way to enjoy cauliflower gnocchi is toasted. Nothing beats lightly crispy, perfectly golden brown toasted cauliflower gnocchi.

Toss the gnocchi in a little oil and sauté them straight in the pan. And voilà, you’ve got yourself a delicious dish!

But these gnocchi are also good with pesto, Chunky Marinara, or my ultimate go to—sheet pan burst tomatoes.  Like any pasta, they’re versatile.

How to Prepare Cauliflower Florets

First, de-leaf the cauliflower. I simply pulled the leaves off the stem as well as I could before moving onto the next step.

Next, cut the cauliflower head in half. Then place the cauliflower cut side down and cut it in half again. Now you have 4 sections of cauliflower.

Remove the stem and any remaining leaves (there are usually some small ones you missed on the first “de-leafing”).

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Now, pull apart smaller portions to create your florets. If the florets are too large, trim the stem and pull apart or cut into smaller sections. I usually trim my stems down anyway because they can be a little woody for my taste.

Since we’re steaming the cauliflower in this recipe, the size of the floret doesn’t really matter. I usually trim them down if I plan to roast them or cook them in a recipe that calls for florets, as opposed to mashed or riced cauliflower.

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How to Steam Cauliflower

Steaming cauliflower is pretty straightforward.

First, fill a large pot with a few inches of water and bring to a boil. Place the florets into the steamer basket and place the basket in the pot above the water. Make sure the water level isn’t so high that it fills your steamer basket.

Cover and steam for about 12 to 15 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be soft and lightly falling apart when you test it with a fork. Remove from basket.

How to Prepare Cauliflower Gnocchi

Step 1: Strain Cauliflower

After you’ve steamed your cauliflower, place the florets on a paper towel to drain and cool off, maybe for 10 to 15 minutes.

Now we need to remove as much liquid from the cauliflower as we possibly can. If you didn’t know, cauliflower is 92% water! Plus, we just soaked it in a steam bath. So, these florets are bursting to the seams with water.

If we don’t remove the water it will make our dough uber moist which will mean packing in more flour, which means instead of having some lightly toasted cauliflower flavor coming through, your gnocchi will just taste like flour.

The best way to drain out the water is to quite literally squeeze it out of the cauliflower. It’s definitely a nuisance and a bit time consuming, but it’s totally worth the effort for these gnocchi!

First you’ll need a cheesecloth, nut milk bag, kitchen towel, paper towel or whatever makeshift fine cloth sieve you might have on hand. Take a handful of florets, stuff them in the cloth, and squeeze. A TON of water is going to come draining out. Just keep ringing it out.

Place the drained cauliflower into the food processor. Repeat the process until all the cauliflower has been drained.

Step 2: Prepare Dough and Form Gnocchi

Now it’s time to get to the dough! Once all the cauliflower has been added to the food processor, toss in your salt, pepper, and seasonings of choice—I prefer ½ tsp of basil and oregano each—and blend. The dough will resemble mashed potatoes.

Now I chose to transfer my dough to a small mixing bowl and I add in 2/3 c of flour, gently mixing it in. You can add it straight to the food processor if you prefer. The dough will still be very sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour.

Now it’s time to shape the dough. Coat your work surface (I use my kitchen table) with flour. Place the gnocchi dough in the center of it and form it into a ball. Take a knife or pastry cutter and divide the dough into quarters, cutting it in half horizontally and then vertically.

Next, take one of the quarters and begin to gently roll it out into a rope, sort of how you shape breadsticks. I like to start in the middle of the dough and place my finger tips gently on top of the dough, pressing lightly and rolling my fingers up and down as I roll my right hand out to the right and my left hand out to the left simultaneously until I get to the edges of the dough. Then repeat until you have a long rope of dough about ¾” in diameter.

Cut the rope into roughly ¾” pieces and place in a row on a lined baking sheet. Repeat this process for the remaining 3 portions of dough.

Step 3: Cook Cauliflower Gnocchi

Now that your gnocchi are prepared, you can cook them. I prefer to boil them first then toast them in a skillet after. Using this method ensures they are cooked and removes some of the floury taste that may remain if you just toast them. Plus I think it gives them a lighter, pillowy texture as well.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi in using a slotted spoon. Wait for the gnocchi to raise to the surface of the water. It will take 3-5 minutes.

Remove cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon and put in a bowl. Drizzle gnocchi with about ½ tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. This will both help prevent the cooked gnocchi from sticking together while you wait for all the gnocchi to be done and help give the gnocchi a nice brown toast in the skillet.

Once all the gnocchi are cooked, transfer to a large frying pan. Try to make sure that all the gnocchi are touching the surface of the pan so they can brown. Overcrowding will not result in the lovely brown edges we’re looking for. To help, try breaking the batch up into halves if there are too many gnocchi.

Heat the skillet to medium high heat. Keep the gnocchi on one side without stirring for 4 to 5 minutes to let them brown. Then try to turn the gnocchi over to the other side using a spatula and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on this side, or until golden brown.

Remove from heat. Enjoy with your favorite sauce or just keep it simple with a garnish of parmesan!

I chose to toss mine with oven-burst tomatoes. Simply preheat your oven to 350F. Coat 1 pint of cherry tomatoes and 2 diced garlic cloves with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then, spread the tomatoes out on a baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes appear wrinkly and are ready to burst. Top with Parmesan cheese and you’re golden!

However you choose to enjoy your cauliflower gnocchi, share with us on Instagram. Tag @sticksscratchktichen so we can see your creations!

Need some Sauce-piration?

These sauces make the perfect delicious topping to these gnocchi!

• Chunky Marinara Sauce
• Pomodoro Sauce