Easy Vegan Gnocchi with a Simple Tomato Sauce

If you love vegan gnocchi, you can’t go past soft and fluffy pillows of potato dough that have been cooked to perfection and tossed in the simplest of tomato sauces.

You’ll be surprised how easy this dish is to make and how impressive it is on the plate. The recipe, including the sauce, requires only 6 ingredients and is what comfort food dreams are made of. You can serve this vegan gnocchi as a first course or a main.

There’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal that can be made in bigger batches and frozen for later to enjoy dinner in under 10 minutes.

Kitchen tools needed to make this vegan potato gnocchi

The kitchen equipment that you’ll need to craft this dish are the following:

• Pot
• Potato ricer or masher
• Large bowl
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Dough scraper or knife
• Gnocchi board or fork (optional)
• Saucepan
• Slotted spoon or spider strainer

Tips for getting the best results

Even though making gnocchi is easier than you think, here are a few important tips to get you the best results:

• When buying the potatoes, try to select potatoes of similar size. This makes it easier for all of them to cook through simultaneously and only until they’re fork tender.
• Do not peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks. Although this may seem like a time saver — when boiling the potatoes this way the dough will be too wet to work with and you may need to add more flour.
• Work with the potatoes while they’re still hot (enough to handle) so that the starch doesn’t become like glue and sticky. I find that holding them with a fork while I peel with a paring knife is the easiest.
• Do not use an electric appliance to mash the potatoes. Using one of these will make the mix smooth but very sticky and gluey and this is not the desired outcome. Best results are achieved using a potato ricer or food mill. This way you can make sure there are no lumps but the mash is still fluffy and soft, resulting in lighter gnocchi.
• Be careful not to add too much flour as the gnocchi will be hard and chewy. Instead, you’ll know that the dough is ready when it’s fluffy, elastic, and doesn’t stick to your fingers or your working surface.
• The amount of flour you’ll need will depend on how wet or dry your potatoes are. So you’ll need to feel your way through to get a sense of the right amount of flour. Try and use older potatoes that have less moisture in them. Please avoid new potatoes for this recipe.
• Do not overwork the dough. Overworking it will develop the gluten in the flour too much resulting in rubbery gnocchi. Knead it just enough for it to come together.
• Add a generous amount of salt to your cooking water to prevent the gnocchi from absorbing too much water as they cook.

Freeze some for dinner in under 10 minutes!

If you want to have a delicious, homemade meal but don’t want to fuss, make a double or triple batch of this gnocchi and freeze them for later. These freeze very well, here’s how you do it.

Place the UNCOOKED gnocchi on a tray lined with baking paper and place them into the freezer. When they have just frozen after a couple of hours, transfer them into a freezer bag.

To cook the frozen gnocchi, take them out of the freezer and place them directly into a pot of salted boiling water. Then wait for them to rise to the top as you would be instructed in the recipe below.

The sauce can be made from scratch while the gnocchi boils, ideal for tossing straight into it.

No need for takeaway when you can have dinner ready in less than 10 minutes and a delicious one at that!

What is vegan gnocchi made of?

Vegan gnocchi is made of 4 simple ingredients. Starchy potatoes, flour, oil, and salt. Now let’s break down why we use each ingredient and what role they play to make the perfect vegan gnocchi.

Starchy potatoes

The hardest part is choosing the right potato and knowing how to prepare it. Older potatoes have less moisture in them so they are ideal. Floury and starchy potatoes are the best for making soft gnocchi. Russet, Idaho, Yukon, Nicola, King Edward, Dutch Cream, and Red Potatoes are best. The starch in the potato will help to bind the gnocchi together.

Flour

I like to use 00 Italian flour for gnocchi as it’s a finer milled flour resulting in softer gnocchi. However, you can use all-purpose (plain) flour as well. The amount of flour needed for gnocchi varies. You may need more or less four, it’s best to do it by feel and using the recipe below as a guide.

Oil

Oil is not traditionally used, however, a small amount helps to give the gnocchi moisture and form. You can use olive oil or any other neutral-tasting oil.

Salt

Salt helps to bring out the flavours in any dish. Here, it serves two purposes. To flavour the gnocchi but also prevent the gnocchi from absorbing too much water when they’re cooking.

Fun fact: There are many parts of Italy where egg is actually not used in making gnocchi. As recipes have been passed down over generations, eggs were more of a luxury, and using them in gnocchi wasn’t necessary.

What can you serve with eggless gnocchi?

The simple tomato sauce that I’ve included in this recipe is a more traditional approach and I wanted to keep it quick and easy. Quality ingredients speak for themselves and you can adjust them to your personal taste as well. If you want to try something else with these vegan gnocchi, here’s a bit of inspiration!

• Topped with Marinated Vegan Bocconcini (Mozzarella Cheese)
• Slices of Chargrilled Capsicums in Garlic Parsley Oil (Red Bell Peppers)
• Vegan Walnut Pesto (loosened with some cooking water)
• Sauce from the 20-Minute Creamy Vegan Red Pepper Pasta
• Sauce from the Creamy Vegan Leek and Mushroom Pasta
• Sauce from My Lentil Spaghetti Bolognese
• Or the super simple 10-minute tomato sauce as listed in the recipe!

Other recipes you’ll love:

1. Smokey Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
2. Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi
3. Wholesome Vegan Lentil Lasagna
4. Vegan Moussaka
5. Rustic Vegan Caprese Salad
6. Panzanella Salad (Italian Tomato & Bread Salad)

If you try this recipe, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your recipe photo on Pinterest. 

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