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ByCatherine Perez
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This easy Roasted Gnocchi with Caramelized Cauliflower is an all in one sheet pan dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes. Drizzle with the savory garlic roasted tahini sauce and your meal is complete.
There is nothing better then when you can make a delicious full meal in the oven. As someone that is pressed for time, but not wanting to satisfy flavor, I can attest that this meal is everything you can want. So, if you’re ready to enjoy this one, keep reading!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Gnocchi
- A one pan meal. One of the easiest sheet pan meals to make as everything cooks on the baking trays, which also makes clean up easy as well.
- Ready in 30 minutes. Minimal chopping and babysitting needed for this meal. Just wait for it to cook in the oven and you’re set.
- 10 main ingredients. The best part of this dish is it’s simplicity. And even with the focus on simple, it manages to taste incredible and fresh.
- A balanced meal. Includes everything from starch, protein, veggies and healthy fats to support healthy plant-based lifestyle.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: I love using chickpeas for some added protein, but feel free to swap in some roasted lentils, butter beans, tempeh or tofu.
- Cauliflower: This vegetable can be swapped with a number of different veggies based on preference like broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts or butternut squash. Feel free to also add more than one vegetable together if desired.
- Gnocchi: I opted for a shelf stable vegan gnocchi. You can use freshly made gnocchi as well.
- Onion: For a little more antioxidants, I used red onions. However, other onions like yellow onions or pearl onions would work really well too.
- Garlic: Roasting the garlic with the veggies mellows out the flavor and gives the sauce a balance of savory and mild sweetness. You can replace with some garlic powder if you prefer.
- Herbs: I used both dry basil and dry oregano. Supplementing with additional fresh herbs to garnish on top will help further elevate this dish.
- Tahini: The base to our creamy sauce. If you happen to be allergic to sesame, you can also make the sauce using some sunflower seed butter as well.
- Miso Paste: I recommend yellow or white miso as they tend to have a milder taste compared to red miso that has a stronger flavor.
- Lemon: Some fresh lemon juice is recommended for best flavor.
How to Make Roasted Gnocchi with Caramelized Cauliflower
Dry your chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel, then toss the chickpeas with oil and seasonings on a baking tray. To the other pan, add your cauliflower, gnocchi, garlic cloves in their peels and onions. Add the oil and dry seasonings along with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat. Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp, giving everything a toss at the 20 minute mark.
Peel the roasted garlic cloves when safe to handle and add the cloves to a small bowl with miso paste. Mash the garlic well then add in the lemon along with a pinch of salt. Mix everything until well combined then add the tahini and whisk again until it thickens. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the sauce is to your desired consistency.
Add your gnocchi, cauliflower, onion and chickpeas to a plate and then drizzle with the sauce when ready to serve.
Expert Tips
- Coat your gnocchi well with oil. If you feel your gnocchi looks a little dry after adding the recommended oil, just add a little more oil to properly coat or spray them evenly with a high heat cooking spray.
- Make this a no chopping meal by using a package of pre-chopped cauliflower and pearl onions.
- Place your vegetables cut side down on the baking tray. This will help them naturally brown and caramelize as they roast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to boil your gnocchi before roasting?
The simple answer is no. You can take your gnocchi straight from the package and place on the sheet pan. Just make sure that the gnocchi is coated well with the oil. The flour and potato in the gnocchi will cook through and leave you with a crisper outside and a tender inside.
Is gnocchi considered pasta?
Gnocchi is actually better classified as a little potato dumpling. You’ll also find that various regions in Italy actually prepare their gnocchi differently with some including more or less flour from region to region.
How can I make this gluten-free?
Opt for gluten-free gnocchi. Trader Joe’s as well as Whole Foods carry a vegan and gluten-free gnocchi variety made with cauliflower and/or cassava flour.
Is gnocchi vegan?
There are many brands of gnocchi that are accidently vegan. However, do note that traditional fresh gnocchi is often made with eggs.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
This meal is already complete as is providing a balance of protein from the chickpeas, starch from the gnocchi, vegetables with the cauliflower and healthy fats from the tahini sauce. For more greens, feel free to pair this pasta with a salad like this White Bean Zucchini Salad.
This dish is best served fresh, but if you’d like to save for leftovers store the roasted vegetables and gnocchi separate from the sauce in airtight containers. You can place the gnocchi and vegetables in the fridge for up to 2 days and the sauce in the fridge for up to 7 days.
More Easy Sheet Pan Recipes
- Smoky Sweet Potato and Chickpea Sheet Pan Dinner
- Sweet Chili Chickpeas Sheet Pan
- Sheet Pan Cashew Tofu
- Tahini Ranch Tofu Sheet Pan
- Roasted Lentil Potato Salad
Roasted Gnocchi with Caramelized Cauliflower
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Catherine Perez
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy Roasted Gnocchi with Caramelized Cauliflower is an all in one sheet pan dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes. Drizzle with the savory garlic roasted tahini sauce and your meal is complete.
Ingredients
Scale
Chickpeas
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, dry basil
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
Gnocchi, Cauliflower and Roasted Tahini Sauce
- 3 cups cauliflower or 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into golf ball sized florets
- 1 package (12-18 oz) shelf-stable or fresh gnocchi
- 1–2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 small onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, leave in peel
- 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, dry basil
- 3 tbsp good quality tahini
- 1 tsp yellow or white miso paste or 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tsp maple syrup, optional
- 3 tbsp water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Dry your chickpeas in a clean kitchen towel, then add the chickpeas, seasonings, oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to one sheet pan and toss to combine.
- To the other pan, add your cauliflower, gnocchi, garlic cloves in their peels and onions. Add the oil and dry seasonings along with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat.
- Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp, giving everything a toss at the 20 minute mark.
- To prepare the sauce, remove the garlic from the sheet pan and once cool enough to handle by hand, peel and add the cloves to a small bowl with miso paste. Mash the garlic with a fork or spoon until well mashed then add in the juice of half a lemon along with a pinch of salt. Mix everything until well combined then add the tahini and whisk again until it thickens. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the sauce is to your desired consistency.
- Add your gnocchi, cauliflower, onion and chickpeas to a plate and then drizzle with the sauce when ready to serve.
Notes
Coat your gnocchi well with oil. If you feel your gnocchi looks a little dry after adding the recommended oil, just add a little more oil to properly coat or spray them evenly with a high heat cooking spray.
Make this a no chopping meal by using a package of pre-chopped cauliflower and pearl onions.
Place your vegetables cut side down on the baking tray. This will help them naturally brown and caramelize as they roast.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★Catherine
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