Beef Free Potato Gnocchi
Pillowy, golden-edged gnocchi made entirely without any meat in the mix — this is Italian comfort food at its most satisfying. Baking the russet potatoes instead of boiling them is the real secret here: it drives out excess moisture so the dough stays light and tender without needing a heavy hand with the flour. Rice flour keeps things delicate and also makes the dough naturally gluten-free, which is a quiet bonus for anyone watching more than one dietary box. Once the gnocchi hit that butter and garlic-infused oil in the skillet, they develop a crisp, caramelized crust that makes it genuinely hard to stop eating them straight from the pan. Finished with a shower of Parmesan and fresh scallion tops, this dish feels restaurant-worthy but comes together with nothing more than pantry staples and a little patience. It's the kind of recipe that proves you don't need meat to make something deeply craveable and crowd-pleasing.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the gnocchi
- 2 lb russet potatoes (about 3 large)
- 1 cup rice flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 large egg
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
For boiling
- 1 tbsp salt (for the boiling water)
For finishing
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil
For serving
- ¼ cup scallion tops, thinly sliced (optional)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)
Can be omittedparmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Pierce each potato several times with a fork, place directly on the oven rack, and bake for 50–60 minutes, until a skewer slides through the center with no resistance. (Baking rather than boiling keeps the potatoes dry, which is essential for light gnocchi.)
- 2
While the potatoes are still hot, halve them and scoop the flesh into a potato ricer or press through the large holes of a box grater onto a clean, lightly rice-flour-dusted work surface. Spread the riced potato out and let it steam for 3–4 minutes until no visible steam rises — the drier the potato, the less flour you'll need.
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