March 7, 2021

White Bean Gnocchi, AKA Vegan Protein Pasta

With just five ingredients and about 25 minutes, we’re going to make our own vegan protein pasta. This white bean gnocchi is a new favorite recipe of mine- it’s super simple to make (I find it easier than potato gnocchi), it’s light and soft with a yummy bit of garlic flavor. It’s super versatile, working well with all sorts of sauces and applications. This whole recipe has about 50 grams of protein, plus almost 50% of your daily iron requirement- what a bonus! Most importantly, the beans take nothing away from the wonderful, indulgent experience of eating pasta. Buon appetito!

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What is Gnocchi?

What we typically think of as gnocchi is a simple pasta, made with mashed potatoes, flour, and water, and sometimes eggs. For a while I was calling these white bean gnocchi, but feeling a little hesitant that this pasta contains no potatoes. Fortunately it only took a quick web search to learn that potatoes are not actually essential to making gnocchi. The word gnocchi is thought to either come from the Italian word for a knot in wood, or else the Italian word for knuckle. In either version, the word is not spud-related, but in fact a reference to the little, knobbly shape the pasta is cut in. When I make gnocchi, I often just leave them in the little squared shapes I cut them in, but sometimes (as I did here), I’ll roll them across the back of a fork to form ridges. These ridges actually help the pasta hold on to sauce better- sometimes gnocchi are gently pressed against a cheese grater for a similar effect.. Earlier versions of gnocchi would sometimes contain breadcrumbs, prunes, various vegetables and even cocoa in the dough. In Italy gnocchi are often served as an appetizer or first course in a meal- in America we are a little less formal about such things, and people eat gnocchi whenever, often as the main course.

How do Vegans Get their Protein?

That’s a question that vegans and vegetarians have been hearing for ages, although I like to think that there’s more information out there than there used to be. With movies like The Game Changers going on in bro-lific detail about vegan vs animal-based protein and athleticism, the world of vegan protein has become a much more accessible topic. Protein isn’t something I track or focus on- most of the foods we eat contain some level of protein, so you’re going to get a decent amount without thinking about it at all. There are also foods that have high levels of vegan protein- seitain, tofu, tempeh, beans, chickpeas, lentils, ancient grains, peas, quinoa, nuts, and more. The main difference between eating plant-based proteins and animal-based ones is that with plant-based proteins, variety is key. Animal flesh contains a complete protein, meaning all 9 of the amino acids we need to eat are in it. Plant-based proteins contain different amino acids, at different levels. There was a big focus in the 1960’s and 1970’s on eating complimentary proteins together- for example, beans and rice, which together contain all 9 amino acids- but it’s really much more relaxed than that. As long as you’re not relying on a single food for all your protein, it will all even out and you should be totally fine. I mean, how many people have you met that have ended up in the hospital due to a protein deficiency? Compare that to the number of people you know with high cholesterol, often due to eating too much meat. I think I’ve made my point…

Looking for High-Protein Vegan Recipes? Try one of these!

How to Make Vegan Protein Pasta

To make this vegan protein pasta, start off by blending your beans, a little aquafaba from the can of beans, and the garlic together. The garlic is technically optional- you will have bean gnocchi if you omit it- but I think it’s a simple addition that really ups the flavor. Once you have a puree, switch to a mixing bowl and add the salt and flour. Mix until you get a dough, and then kneed a few times to make sure it’s all well incorporated. I was a little worried that this pasta might not hold its shape as well as a potato gnocchi- but boy was I wrong. It was easy to roll and manipulate, and rolling it across the back of a fork made clear and lasting impressions. I had made potato gnocchi a few weeks earlier, and they didn’t hold up super well in the boiling water- but these did! Make your gnocchi in batches, and get a pot of water boiling. Season your water, and drop the gnocchi in individually so they don’t stick. After about 30 seconds, the gnocchi will rise to the surface- scoop them out with a slotted spoon. At this point they can go directly in a sauce, or you can heat a little vegan butter and get them crispy in a skillet (my go to). In my images here, I have some with a simple white sauce and others tossed in nutritional yeast and tomato powder.