White Bean Gnocchi, AKA Vegan Protein Pasta

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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vegan white bean pasta recipe

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.

bean gnocchi in white sauce

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…

how to make vegan protein pasta

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

how to make bean gnocchi

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.

homemade vegan protein pasta

White Bean Gnocchi, AKA Vegan Protein Pasta

White Bean Gnocchi, AKA Vegan Protein Pasta

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 80 gnocchi

White Bean Gnocchi, AKA Vegan Protein Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz. can of cannellini beans (reserve ¼ cup of the liquid)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. Open your canned beans, and drain them, reserving ¼ cup of the liquid (aquafaba). Place the beans, aquafaba, and garlic in a small blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.
  2. Add the pureed beans to a large bowl, along with the salt and flour. Mix to create a dough, and once it has come together kneed a few times until it is smooth and even. Divide the dough into 4-6 workable pieces (no need to be very precise). Roll one of the pieces into a ball, and then use a clean counter top to roll it into a long snake, about the thickness of your thumb. Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the snake into pieces, about ¾ of an inch long. To shape them (totally optional), place a fork upside down on your workspace. Take each small piece of dough and push gently, sliding them down the fork, so the tines leave an impression. Continue until you have used all the dough.
  3. Bring a pot of water to boil, and season it with salt. Once the water is boiling add the gnocchi- I usually do this in batches while I’m shaping them. After about 30 seconds, they will rise to the top and you can remove them from the water with a slotted spoon.
  4. At this point it’s up to you. I like to sear my gnocchi in some hot vegan butter, until they get a nice, golden crispy, but that’s a personal choice. They’re good in white sauce, red sauce, or even with no sauce. Try them with pesto! I imagine they’re really good in soups too. Anything you like to do with pasta is likely a good choice with gnocchi.
https://veryveganval.com/2021/03/07/white-bean-gnocchi-aka-vegan-protein-pasta/

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9 thoughts on “White Bean Gnocchi, AKA Vegan Protein Pasta”

  • Do you think that this would work with soaked white beans? Then I wouldn’t have the canned bean aquafaba. Any recommendations?

    • Hi Cassie,
      So far I’ve only tried this with canned beans, so I’m not entirely sure. If it were me, I would try using cooking your dried beans, and using 1 1/2 cups of them along with 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
      Let me know how it goes!

  • Looking forward to trying these as gnocchi have always been a favourite and I’m looking to eat more protein. Do you have any (even approximate) nutritional or calorie info for this recipe?

  • Thank you for sharing. This looks amazing.

    Do you think it will turn out the same if I use almond flour or chickpea flour?

    • Hi Sam,
      I haven’t tried either of those ideas. I’m not sure that either will work very well, but I would try using almond flour before chickpea.
      Let us know if you give it a shot, and good luck!

  • Love this recipe! It works with many sauces. It also re-heats decently. I’ve made it for many skeptics who were won over to the food. Some even say it’s better than potato gnocchi.

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