Creamy Gnocchi in Romanesco Broccoli Sauce Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano
These simple gnocchi are wholesome, creamy and warming, coated in a delicious romanesco broccoli sauce, and topped with sautéed cabbage florets.
There's nothing better than a good plate of pillowy gnocchi from time to time.
They are hearty, filling, delicate and very versatile, and they cook in just a few minutes.
Their fluffy and soft consistency marries very well with the simple yet unique flavour of this smoky Creamy Romanesco Broccoli plant based sauce, and the addiction of the crunchy sautéed cabbage tips delivers another interesting texture to the dish.
If there's one thing I never get bored of is indeed gnocchi. Either homemade or store bought for a quick fix, gnocchi are definitely one of my culinary weaknesses.
And what are gnocchi without an amazing sauce? I mean, they are still good, but with the right, creamy and comforting sauce it's all another story.
It can be as simple as just sage & butter (vegan, of course) as in this post, in which you can also find out how to make some delicious pumpkin gnocchi, that will also go absolutely great with this romanesco sauce, or richer.
But since gnocchi can are quite filling and dense by themselves I always try to keep the sauce simple.
How to make these Creamy Romanesco Broccoli
As first thing we have to trim the romanesco florets and divide them by size: the big ones will became the sauce, while the small and cutes will be sautéed and served on top.
For the sauce:
We have to bring some salted water to a boil. I suggest to use just one big pot in which you'll cook both the cabbage and the gnocchi later on.
Add the big florets and boil for 10-12 minutes, until they become fork tender.
In the meantime we sauté in a pan some finely chopped onion with olive oil, bay leaves, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and more onion powder (for a deeper flavour, but you can leave it out if you prefer), until translucent (5-7 minutes). Add 1 tablespoon of water if it dries out too quickly to prevent the onion to burn and become bitter.
Once both the cabbage and the onion mixture are ready, transfer in a blender bowl (apart from the bay leaves), add the plant milk and blend until smooth.
In the same pan of the onions where you left the bay leaves add some other oil and start sautéing the small romanesco tips that we put aside, with a pinch of salt and pepper. The cooking time depends mainly on how you like the broccoli to be: up to 5 minutes for crunchier bits, longer for softer ones. If you are cooking the tips rather soft, I'd suggest to add some drops of water or vegetable broth and cover with a lid, pretty much like we have done in this Romanesco Stew. Do not boil or steam for long though. Put the tips aside and use later on to top the dish. You can discard the bay leaves now.
In the same water where we first boil the big cabbage bits add the gnocchi and cook until they come to the surface (generally it takes 2-3 minutes).
Add the sauce to a pan and heat it up a little.
When they start to float, collect the gnocchi with a sieve and add them to the pan with a sauce. Add 3-4 tablespoon of the gnocchi cooking water (or more if they seem too dry).
Finish with a couple of tablespoons of vegan grated cheese and 1 tablespoon of dairy free butter. Toss well until the butter is melted and the cheese well incorporated.
Serve straight away topped with the sautéed romanesco broccoli florets and more vegan cheese to taste.
Creamy Gnocchi in Romanesco Broccoli Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Romanesco Broccoli Head (medium, divided in big and small florets)
1000 g Gnocchi
2-3 tablespoon Vegan Parmesan Cheese (+ more to serve)
1 tablespoon Vegan Butter
...for the sauce...
160 g Plant Milk (Oat)
2 Bay Leaves
1 Onion (medium)
½ tablespoon Olive Oil
½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
½ teaspoon Onion Powder (optional)
Salt
Pepper
+ Romanesco big cuts
...for the sauté...
½ tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Water (Optional)
+ Romanesco small tips
Method:
1. Bring 2 liters of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the big florets and boil for 10-12 minutes, until they become fork tender.
3. In the meantime we sauté in a pan some finely chopped onion with olive oil, bay leaves, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and more onion powder (for a deeper flavour, but you can leave it out if you prefer), until translucent (5-7 minutes). Add 1 tablespoon of water if it dries out too quickly to prevent the onion to burn and become bitter.
4. Once both the cabbage and the onions mixture are ready, transfer in a blender bowl (apart from the bay leaves), add the plant milk and blend until smooth, then set aside the sauce.
5. In the same pan where we left the bay leaves add some other oil and sauté the small romanesco tips with a pinch of salt and pepper. The cooking time depends mainly on how you like the broccoli to be: up to 5 minutes for crunchier bits, longer for softer ones.
6. Put the tips aside and use later on to top the dish. You can discard the bay leaves now.
7. In the same water where we first boil the cabbage, add the gnocchi and cook until they come to the surface (generally it takes 2-3 minutes).
8. Add the sauce to a pan and heat it up a little.
9. Collect the gnocchi with a sieve and add them to the pan with a sauce. Add 3-4 tablespoon of the gnocchi cooking water (or more if they seem too dry).
10. Finish with a couple of tablespoons of vegan grated cheese and 1 tablespoon of dairy free butter. Toss well until the butter is melted and the cheese well incorporated.
11. Serve straight away topped with the sautéed romanesco broccoli florets and more vegan cheese to taste.
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