Like gnocchi--but with vegan ricotta instead of potato--these hearty little dumplings will warm you from the inside out. They're the dense sort of comfort food that I crave in the cold winter months but lightened up (a bit) with the inclusion of spinach and exclusion of excessive starch.
Although these specific dumplings are typically made with full-cream ricotta cheese and eggs, they can easily be veganized with swaps for dairy-free ricotta and chickpea flour for the binder. These gnudi are naturally gluten-free as well and have a fair amount of protein.
But--perhaps most importantly--they taste really nice (if I do say so myself). Pop some in the freezer to have on hand for a quick dinner fix, or eat them fresh if you just can't resist! Like many great recipes, these are a bit of a timely process, but your efforts will surely seem worth it once you get a bite of these green little nuggets.
Vegan Italian Recipes: Gluten-Free Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi
Recipe Type:
Allergen Free Hearty Entrees
YIELDS
6 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 2 cups vegan ricotta
- 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon basil paste
- 1/2 teaspoon, plus a dash salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons black olives, pitted
Directions
1. Mix ricotta, spinach, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper until smooth.
2. Sift flour into mixture while continuing to stir until flour is well incorporated with no clumps.
3. Set a large pot of water (plus a dash of salt) on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil.
4. While waiting for water to boil, store the gnudi batter in the fridge.
5. Once water has come to a rolling boil, remove batter from fridge and drop into the pot, 1 rounded tablespoon at a time.
6. Continue dropping gnudi into the boiling water, and remove them once they float to the surface.
7. Once floating, dumplings should be strained and set on a dry plate.
8. After all dumplings are cooked, let cool at room temperature, then store in fridge.
9. When ready to serve the gnudi, heat vegan butter in a skillet over medium-high. Add gnudi and cook for about 10 minutes.
10. Plate your dumplings, garnish with olives, and serve.
2. Sift flour into mixture while continuing to stir until flour is well incorporated with no clumps.
3. Set a large pot of water (plus a dash of salt) on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil.
4. While waiting for water to boil, store the gnudi batter in the fridge.
5. Once water has come to a rolling boil, remove batter from fridge and drop into the pot, 1 rounded tablespoon at a time.
6. Continue dropping gnudi into the boiling water, and remove them once they float to the surface.
7. Once floating, dumplings should be strained and set on a dry plate.
8. After all dumplings are cooked, let cool at room temperature, then store in fridge.
9. When ready to serve the gnudi, heat vegan butter in a skillet over medium-high. Add gnudi and cook for about 10 minutes.
10. Plate your dumplings, garnish with olives, and serve.
Also by Quincy: Hearty Vegan "Meat" and Ale Pie
Related: Roasted Red Pepper Farfalle
Vegan Mushroom and Spinach Dumplings
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Photos: Quincy Malesovas
