Gluten-free cauliflower and ricotta gnocchi

Gluten-free cauliflower and ricotta gnocchi: tender gnocchi fried until golden, with hard cheese, sage and butter – mild, aromatic and pleasantly light.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 25 min
• Cooking time: 10 min
• Total time: 35 min
• Calories: 350 kcal per serving
• Protein: 16 g
• Fat: 26 g
• Carbs: 12 g

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 400g white cauliflower
• 80-100g pale defatted almond flour
• 150g full-fat ricotta
• 30g freshly grated vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 1 handful of fresh sage leaves
• Himalayan salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• Black pepper

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · saucepan · chopping board · knife · sieve · grater

1. Cook the cauliflower until soft, then put it in a clean tea towel. Squeeze out thoroughly until as little moisture as possible remains, then mash finely.
2. Mix the cauliflower with the ricotta, egg, hard cheese, nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Work in the almond flour little by little until you have a soft dough you can shape.
3. Divide the dough into portions and roll into ropes with lightly oiled hands. Cut into small pillows and press lightly with a fork if you like.
4. Cook the gnocchi in gently simmering salted water. As soon as they rise to the surface, lift them out carefully and drain well.
5. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and let it brown lightly, then fry the sage leaves briefly until crisp. Toss the gnocchi gently in the pan and fry until golden all over.
6. Serve straight away, ideally with a little extra hard cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Good to know

These gnocchi are soft and tender, yet surprisingly good at holding their shape. A gentle comfort dish that feels very special for very little effort.

Swaps

Ricotta → cottage cheese or well-drained quark (more protein) Hard cheese → more ricotta (milder and less salty) Butter → ghee (buttery flavour, can be heated to high temperatures and is almost lactose-free, but still contains milk)

Allergens

Contains milk, egg and almonds (tree nuts). Usually fine for children as long as they can have nuts and milk protein; in pregnancy it's fine, as long as the egg is cooked through and only pasteurised ricotta is used.

Frequently asked questions

Does cooking cauliflower change its nutrients?

More of the vitamin C is kept when it's raw. Cooked cauliflower is often milder, which matters more in this recipe than the small difference in vitamin content.

What's in ricotta nutritionally?

Ricotta mainly provides protein, calcium and some vitamin B12. The fat content varies with the type – full-fat ricotta brings correspondingly more milk fat.

How is almond flour different from regular flour?

Defatted almond flour contains no gluten and brings fibre and minerals. It's obviously not an option if you have a nut allergy, and a sudden increase in fibre can take some getting used to for sensitive people.

Does sage have more than flavour to offer nutritionally?

Sage contains essential oils and small amounts of antioxidant plant compounds. In the amounts used here, though, flavour is clearly the main point – the leaves are fried in the brown butter until crisp.

Is hard cheese just seasoning, or does it bring nutrients too?

Besides umami, hard cheese also brings concentrated calcium and protein. Thanks to ripening, it usually contains very little lactose too, which matters for some people.