Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi
Growing up in a family that places great emphasis on our Sicilian roots, pasta has always been a staple at every family gathering and major event. I love the soft sauce medium as much as anyone, but because of its heavy nature, its something that I’ve categorized as a “special food” as opposed to a weekly staple. The past few years, I’ve been exploring healthier alternatives that won’t leave me with a stomach ache and no room for dessert, and throughout this journey I stumbled upon Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi. Contrary to popular belief, I hated it! I thought it was mushy and nothing at all like pasta- I ended up abandoning the cauliflower pasta train all together…or so I thought. I was recently in California visiting a friend (more to come on this trip soon- hold tight!) who swore she had the best cauliflower gnocchi recipe, so I reluctantly agreed to try it with her and WOW I am glad I did!
She pulled out a simple guideline: 5 cups of cauliflower (frozen or fresh but I’ve always used fresh), 2/3 cups of flour, a teaspoon of salt. Boil the cauliflower until tender, place it on a towel to cool, squeezeeeeee all of the liquid out, crumble it in the food processor, add the flour and salt, process until a dough forms, cut into the gnocchi shape, brown in an oiled pan on each side, and once browned add water and a lid to steam the nuggets until the water is evaporated. It is so easily logical that I don’t even need a printed copy of the recipe to create this base over and over! One small note is that I have started to make it with half flour and half potato starch for a squishier feeling which I love and totally recommend! If you want to do this, it is simply 1/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup potato starch.
I’ve tried this pasta with several sauces, my favorite being a simple sage butter sauce with flakey salt, mostly because it still lets the earthy flavor of the cauliflower to shine through. If you want to completely mask the taste of it, add a pesto or red sauce, but I encourage you to at least try the natural flavor shine through. The gnocchi is crispy on the outside with a dreamy, fluffy inside that pops when you bite into it. It is salty and charred, with an almost creamy aftertaste…it really has become one of my favorite things I make- you simply must try!
Further, it stores for up to two weeks in the fridge and reheats amazingly so it is a great meal prep option!
