Vegan Gnocchi With Spinach Pesto Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/2/22
vegan gnocchi iwth spinach pesto

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Prep: 35 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings
Yield: 45 pieces

Vegan gnocchi is so easy to make. There aren’t any unusual ingredients, just good ol’ potatoes, flour, olive oil, and salt. It’s fun to roll out the gnocchi as a family in large batches. You can even freeze the gnocchi and enjoy it on a weeknight or for Sunday dinner. 

We served up the gnocchi with a homemade spinach and basil pesto, but you can serve it with whatever sauce you like. Marinara is always delicious or try a cashew cream sauce. You can always keep it simple with the sauce and buy a store-bought variety.

Ingredients

For the Gnocchi:

  • 3 to 4 russet potatoes

  • 1 to 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for the pasta water

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Spinach Pesto:

  • 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained

  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • Vegan Parmesan cheese, optional

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Gnocchi

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients for vegan gnocchi
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Scrub and wash the potatoes thoroughly, dry, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and bake for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork.

    potatoes pricked and placed on parchment paper
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  3. Remove from the oven and cool slightly until you can handle them. Peel off the skins.

    peeled baked russet potatoes
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  4. Grate the potatoes with a cheese grater or put them through a ricer. Remove any tough pieces.

    shredded baked potatoes
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  5. Put the potatoes on a large, clean board and form them into a nest shape. Sprinkle the top with the flour and salt and pour the olive oil in the center.

    baked potato and flour on a marble board
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  6. Mix the olive oil into the potatoes and flour using a fork or your hands. Knead the dough for a few minutes or until it comes together to form a soft dough. All of the ingredients should be incorporated, but do not over-knead or the potatoes will become tough.

    vegan gnocchi dough in a ball
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  7. Cut off a piece of the dough and roll it into a long log.

    gnocchi dough rolled into a log
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  8. Cut the log into 3/4-inch pieces.

    gnocchi cut into pieces
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  9. Roll each piece across a gnocchi board or across the tines of a fork. You can also skip this step, but it helps hold the sauce on the gnocchi.

    rolled gnocchi on a wooden board
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  10. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add in about a cup of the gnocchi and cook just until they float to the surface. Using a slotted spoon, lift the gnocchi from the water and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have cooked all of the gnocchi.

    gnocchi boiled in a pot
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

Prepare the Spinach Pesto

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    spinach pesto ingredients
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  2. Add the spinach, basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, and salt to a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil as its blending. Blend until the sauce is finely chopped and mostly smooth.

    pesto blended in a food processor
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  3. Toss the gnocchi with the pesto and serve with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan if you wish.

Tips

  • Baking the potatoes helps to keep them from being watery when forming the dough. You can boil the potatoes, but it is best to do it with the skin on to keep the starch in the potato. 
  • You can freeze the gnocchi on the sheet pan after rolling. Once the gnocchi are frozen, place them into a plastic freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months. You can also freeze them the same way after cooking.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
511 Calories
8g Fat
97g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 511
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 917mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 97g 35%
Dietary Fiber 9g 30%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 23mg 113%
Calcium 129mg 10%
Iron 6mg 36%
Potassium 1401mg 30%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)