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Zucchini Gnocchi
5 from 48 votes

Zucchini Gnocchi

Zucchini Gnocchi transforms grated and cooked zucchini into tender dough combined with flour and Pecorino Romano cheese, shaped into small pillows. The cooking process involves softening the zucchini, squeezing out moisture, and forming ropes that are cut into bite-sized pieces before being pan-cooked with olive oil. This results in soft gnocchi with a light texture and a mild cheesy flavor, served with a simple marinara sauce and optionally topped with fresh basil.

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 216 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American Fussion

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds zucchini (grated with the large holes of a box grater)
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour (plus more for dusting)
  • 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for serving, grated
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for sprinkling)
  • olive oil spray form
  • 2 cups marinara sauce (jarred or homemade)
  • basil (optional for serving)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add zucchini to a large deep skillet or pot and cook, covered until tender and soft, about 8 to 12 minutes stirring. Set aside to cool.
  2. Place the zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze out as much excess water as possible then place in a large bowl.
  3. Add the flour, cheese and salt into the bowl with the zucchini and mix with a fork at first, then using your hands to fold and squeeze everything together into a dough.
  4. Dust a work surface with flour, then separate the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 2 3/4 ounces each. One at a time, roll each ball into a ½-inch-thick rope 10 inches long and set aside. Continue until all the dough is used up.
  5. Next, cut each rope into 13 equal sized (gnocchi-like) pieces, slightly nudging the pieces apart so they’re not touching. You should get about 108 pieces total. If at any point the dough becomes too sticky to work with, add flour to your hands.
  6. In two batches, liberally spray a large a skillet with oil and warm over medium heat. Place half of the gnocchi on the hot skillet (if the pieces stick together just slice them apart in the skillet using the spatula). Do not overcrowd the pan; you’ll need to cook the gnocchi in two batches.
  7. Let the gnocchi sit in the hot pan undisturbed for 2 minutes, then gently flip using a spoon or tongs, being careful not to squish them. Sprinkle salt over the tops and continue to cook for another 2 to 4 minutes or until desired doneness.
  8. Set aside and repeat with remaining gnocchi, then add everything back to the skillet and pour the marinara over everything, give a stir and serve topped with optional grated cheese.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1/4 of recipe, about 27 pieces Calories 216kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 38g (13%) Protein 7.5g (15%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1.5g (8%) Cholesterol 5mg (2%) Sodium 679.5mg (28%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 13g (26%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 216

% Daily Value*

Serving 1/4 of recipe, about 27 pieces
Calories 216kcal 11%
Carbohydrates 38g 13%
Protein 7.5g 15%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 679.5mg 28%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 13g 26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.