Cauliflower Gnocchi is a great gluten-free pasta alternative! Much lighter than traditional gnocchi, they are tender and chewy. And there are so many ways to enjoy gluten-free cauliflower gnocchi!
In this recipe, I combined the cauliflower gnocchi with brown rice penne pasta and a quick, homemade pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Simple and delicious!
Cauliflower Gnocchi and Penne Pasta Pesto
My parents are visiting right now. And last night I asked my family if they wanted ‘pesto and penne pasta’ or ‘pesto and cauliflower gnocchi’. Because we couldn’t come to a consensus, the most diplomatic solution was to use both! That’s how the Cauliflower Gnocchi and Penne!
It’s what we now refer to as Cauliflower Gnocchi and Penne Pasta Pesto (Ok, the name is lame, but the dish is delish!).
After dinner, my dad asked for the recipe. Since you loved it so much, Dad, the Cauliflower Gnocchi and Penne Pasta Pesto are for you.
Ingredients
- pasta. I choose Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta
- cauliflower gnocchi. See below where to find it.
- pesto. Use your own homemade parsley pesto or kale pesto or opt for a good quality storebought pesto brand.
- sun-dried tomatoes
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- parmesan cheese
Additional Information about Cauliflower Gnocchi and where to shop
I’m going to share the recipe as I made it. I’m pretty sure that if you don’t have the cauliflower gnocchi on hand, it’ll still be delicious with just pasta.
As of October 2018, the only store I know that sells frozen cauliflower gnocchi is Trader Joe’s. If you don’t live near Trader Joe’s, I’ve found an easy, homemade cauliflower gnocchi recipe.
More Easy Recipes You’ll Love
If you like simple gluten-free pasta dishes like this one, you’ll also enjoy the
- Red Lentil Pasta Salad
- Broiled salmon Works really, really well with a lot of recipes
- Chicken Sausage and Lentil Stew. Perfect for cold winter nights.
- Pesto Zoodle with baked Cod
- Tuna Pasta Salad Sandwich
Make it Vegan!
Likewise, if you have vegan members in your family, you can easily offer a vegan version of this dish. Just don’t sprinkle any cheese at the very end
Also, please keep in mind that the closest grocery store to my house is Trader Joe’s which is why I use a lot of their products.
And if it is a product that is only carried by Trader Joe’s I’ll do my best to find a substitution or link to a similar store-bought or homemade product.
Tools used to cook this dish
- Cutting Board
- Good Set of Knives (mine were from Costco and are no longer available)
- Pasta Pot (I got a similar one at Home Goods)
- Large Deep Dish Skillet with Lid
- Over-the-Sink Colander
Cauliflower Gnocchi Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 ounces penne pasta Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice Penne
- 1 bag cauliflower gnocchi Trader Joe's
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 onion yellow
- 1-3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tub Trader Joe's basil pesto other store-bought or homemade pesto will work just as well
- 1-2 ounces parmesan cheese finely grated, optional | skip and it's a vegan meal option
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake the frozen Cauliflower gnocchi for 12-14 minutes (no oil or spray needed).
- Cook your pasta (I used gluten-free penne) according to the instructions.
- In the meantime dice the yellow onion and garlic cloves
- In a deep dish skillet (preferably one with a lid) gently heat your olive oil and begin to sauté your onions and garlic over medium heat.
- After a couple of minutes add the sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the Trader Joe’s Marinated Antipasto tomatoes and the Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto to the onion, garlic, and sun-dried tomato mixture. Continue to simmer for a few minutes until everything is thoroughly heated.
- When your pasta is done; drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Take your cauliflower gnocchi out of the oven and set aside.
- Once the pesto-tomato sauce is thoroughly heated start adding your cooked pasta and gnocchi. Keep your stove on low heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Time to serve. At this point, you can add some grated Parmesan. And if you’d like to keep the dish vegan, simply skip that step.
Nutrition
Have you made your own cauliflower gnocchi? Will you try this recipe? Leave your comments below and tag me on Instagram, Twitter, or o Facebook. Be sure to use the hashtag #cheerfulcook. I can’t wait to see your creations!
2 thoughts on “Cauliflower Gnocchi and Pesto”
Another super interesting dish. I’ve seen the cauliflower gnocchi at Trader Joe’s but I didn’t know what to use them for. I’m loving all your creative recipe ideas. Keep it up!
Thank you for your kind words! 🙂