Beet Gnocchi? Yes ma'am! This recipe for Beet Gnocchi with Alfredo Sauce transforms regular potato gnocchi into an elegant and delicious dish. A perfect dish for two or your next family meal.
If beets aren't your thing, try Traditional Potato Gnocchi or Sweet Potato Gnocchi which are the perfect alternative.
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Gnocchi have always been one of those comfort foods in my house. Perfect for any time of the year, especially since you can source potatoes and beets from your market any time.
If you are looking for other traditional Italian inspired pasta dishes try my Momma's Homemade Lasagna or Rigatoni al Forno. Your family will love either one of these!
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Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- Simple and easy to make
- Economical ingredients make this an inexpensive meal for the whole family
- Customizable flavor allows you to add or take away ingredients like beets and just stick with traditional gnocchi
How to Make Beet Gnocchi with Potato
Clean and boil your potatoes until fork tender. Use a potato ricer to rice your potatoes while they are hot and place them in a bowl to cool. (no need to peel them if using a ricer, just remember to clean out your ricer after each potato).
Clean and boil your beets (this may take about 45 minutes). Use a blender to blend the beets to a puree.
When the potatoes and beets are at room temperature combine in a bowl and make a hole in the centre and add an egg.
Mix well. Add 1 cup of flour and mix with a spatula. Continue to add flour until the potato mixture isn't so sticky.
Place mixture on a floured surface and continue to work in the flour by rolling the dough or using a dough scraper.
Roll the mixture into a ball and using a dough scraper, remove a section of the dough and roll out in to a finger like shaped roll about 10 inches long and ¾ inches wide. Cut little squares from the roll about ½ inch by ¾ inch. Place a little bit of flour on a gnocchi board and roll each square over the board.
To cook the gnocchi, use a large stock pot that can be filled with plenty of water. Bring water to boil and using a spatula, gently place them in the boiling water.
Make your sauce and place the cooked gnocchi in the skillet mixing well.
Storage
Same Day: Leave the freshly made gnocchi on the baking sheet in a cool room until you are ready to boil them.Cooked gnocchi leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container.
Freezing Instructions: Place the baking trays with the gnocchi in the freezer until full frozen. Then transport them in to a freezer bag and continue to freeze them for not longer than one month or until you are ready to cook.
When ready to cook, make sure that you use a large stock pot so that the water does not get cold as you add the frozen gnocchi. If the gnocchi cool down the cooking water, it may result in gnocchi becoming mushed up.
Meal Prep Tips
- If you are using a potato ricer, you don't need to peel your potatoes. Just remove the skin from the ricer between ricing.
- If you are unsure whether you have added enough flour to your gnocchi, test a few before you proceed to make the remaining gnocchi. Do this by boiling some water and dropping a couple in the water to cook. Scoop out and test with a fork and taste as well. Adjust if too soft and add more flour to your potato mixture.
- Place gnocchi in a single layer on a floured baking sheet so that they don't stick together. If they get stuck to the parchment paper, place them in the water with the paper and they will detach from the paper.
- If cooking from frozen, use a large stock pot and add a little of the the gnocchi at a time to the pot so that the water does not cool down and turn your gnocchi to mashed potato.
- You will know that they are cooked, when they float to the top of the pot.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some great variations:
- Sweet Potato - instead of using regular potato and beets, try a sweet potato version of gnocchi
- Gluten Free - use gluten free flour to make a gluten free gnocchi.
- Veal Ragu - use a tomato sauce like a slow cooked veal ragu on your beet gnocchi.
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Aside from the color, surprisingly, beet gnocchi taste like regular gnocchi.
Instead of try to remove the gnocchi from the parchment paper, dip them in the boiling water carefully not to burn your hands. The gnocchi will slide off and into the water.
Other Dishes to Fall in Love with
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Details
Beet Gnocchi with Alfredo Sauce
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
Gnocchi
- 12 oz beets about 2 medium
- 12 oz yellow Potatoes about 4 medium
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- water for boiling gnocchi
- 1 tbsp salt for water
Alfredo Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 8 oz heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 leaves chive
Instructions
Gnocchi
- Clean and boil your potatoes until fork tender. Use a potato ricer to rice your potatoes while they are hot and place them in a bowl to cool. (no need to peel them if using a ricer, just remember to clean out your ricer after each potato).
- Clean and boil your beets (this may take about 45 minutes). Use a blender to blend the beets to a puree.
- When the potatoes and beets are at room temperature combine in a bowl and make a hole in the centre and add an egg. Mix well. Add 1 cup of flour and mix with a spatula. Continue to add flour until the potato mixture isn't so sticky. (it will still be sticky no matter what, you want a consistency you can work with).
- NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A LIGHT COLORED SURFACE, YOU MAY WANT TO TAPE PLASTIC WRAP ON THE SURFACE TO AVOID THE BEETS STAINING YOUR COUNTER OR WORK ON A BAKING SHEET OR ROLLING MAT.
- Place mixture on a floured surface and continue to work in the flour by rolling the dough or using a dough scraper. Be careful how much flour you incorporate - the more flour you roll into the dough, the denser and harder the gnocchi will be. (Use 3 to 3.5 cups of flour) The amount will vary depending on how moist your potatoes are. You may need more flour because the beets retain more water.
- Roll the mixture into a ball and using a dough scraper, remove a section of the dough and roll out in to a finger like shaped roll about 10 inches long and ¾ inches wide. Cut little squares from the roll about ½ inch by ¾ inch. Place a little bit of flour on a gnocchi board and roll each square over the board. Work from bottom to top letting the gnocchi roll over the board onto your baking sheet. If you don't have a gnocchi board, you can use the back of a fork.
- Repeat until you have rolled out all the pieces from that roll of dough and arrange the gnocchi on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper dusted with flour. Do not place gnocchi on top of one another otherwise they will stick together.
- Repeat until you have used up all of the dough. You can leave the gnocchi on the baking sheet in a cool place until ready to boil the same day. (see notes section for freezing instructions)
- To cook the gnocchi, use a large stock pot that can be filled with plenty of water. Bring water to boil and using a spatula, gently place them in the boiling water. Salt your water. The gnocchi will float to the surface once cooked. Use a spider spoon to scoop the gnocchi from the water into plates or a sauté pan with your favorite sauce.
Alfredo Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large skillet (large enough to hold all the gnocchi too).
- Add the cream and stir gently. Add the cheese a little bit at a time and stir.
- Let the cream boil gently for a few minutes then remove from heat so that it does not scorch on the bottom.
- Add the potato gnocchi to the skillet and stir. Season with fresh cracked pepper to taste and chopped chives (optional). Serve immediately.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
-
- If you are using a potato ricer, you don't need to peel your potatoes. Just remove the skin from the ricer between ricing.
- If you are unsure whether you have added enough flour to your gnocchi, test a few before you proceed to make the remaining gnocchi. Do this by boiling some water and dropping a couple in the water to cook. Scoop out and test with a fork and taste as well. Adjust if too soft and add more flour to your potato mixture.
- Place gnocchi in a single layer on a floured baking sheet so that they don't stick together. If they get stuck to the parchment paper, place them in the water with the paper and they will detach from the paper.
- If cooking from frozen, use a large stock pot and add a little of the the gnocchi at a time to the pot so that the water does not cool down and turn your gnocchi to mashed potato.
- You will know that they are cooked, when they float to the top of the pot.
Storage
Same Day: Leave the freshly made gnocchi on the baking sheet in a cool room until you are ready to boil them. Cooked gnocchi leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container. You can freeze freshly made gnocchi. Place the baking trays with the gnocchi in the freezer until full frozen. Then transport them in to a freezer bag and continue to freeze them for not longer than one month or until you are ready to cook. When ready to cook, make sure that you use a large stock pot so that the water does not get cold as you add the frozen gnocchi. If the gnocchi cool down the cooking water, it may result in gnocchi becoming mushed up.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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