The post Recipe: Vegan Gnocchi appeared first on Vegan Hostess.
]]>Hello everyone,
This year for the holidays, I updated my vegan gnocchi recipe. I love Italian food, and gnocchi has been my favorite dish for years. I used to prepare it for my family using pre-made gnocchi and sauce, but not any more! I’ve mastered the hand rolled potato gnocchi of my dreams.
Gnocchi can seem intimidating, but I promise you it’s not. You can make as much or as little as you want, and the recipe uses a handful of household staple ingredients. I like to make a double batch and freeze half for a later date. You can’t even tell! This recipe freezes extremely well. I honestly can’t wait to make it again.
Check out the recipe below. Tell me, what’s your favorite pasta to make from scratch?
Mangia! Mangia!
Jocelyn
Ps – Here are some kitchen items which might come in handy that I personally use!
Vegan Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 8 small-medium Potatoes The higher in starch the better. I like russet.
- 1 1/3 cup All-purpose Flour Plus some extra.
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 jar Tomato Sauce
- Basil Fresh
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating up, peel the potatoes. Once boiling, add the potatoes and boil until they are soft (fork tender). Drain the potatoes and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes with a metal food masher, ricer, or other mashing tool. Add the salt and flour and knead the mixture until a smooth dough forms.
- Dump out the old water from boiling the potatoes, and bring a fresh pot of water to a boil.
- While the water is heating up starting rolling out your gnocchi on a lightly floured surface. I suggest splitting your dough into 6 sections and rolling them one-by-one into a rope. Aim for a rope about an inch wide, perhaps a little less. Cut small 1" gnocchi 'pillows' and set aside.
- Once you have your gnocchi 'pillows,' begin rolling them down the curved side of a fork or a gnocchi board. This will enable the sauce to better stick to the gnocchi and is the traditional style.
- Now is a good time to heat your marinera sauce with any additional herbs/ veggies on the stove. Cover with a lid, and let simmer.
- When the water is boiling, transfer the gnocchi. Do not overcook! The gnocchi should float to the surface fairly quickly depending on how many gnocchi you transfer at a time. Remove the gnocchi's with a skimmer as they float to the top to avoid any gnocchi from overcooking.
- Transfer to the saucepan. Combine the gnocchi, and marinera sauce.
- Plate your gnocchi dishes, and serve with vegan parmesan and garnish.
- Enjoy! Mangia! Mangia!
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]]>The post Simple Homemade Marinara Sauce with Garlic & Basil appeared first on Vegan Hostess.
]]>If you read my blog you already know this—I’m Italian, and I love pasta. While I’ve been making my own homemade noodles for about a year, I’ve been hesitating on the sauce. Who wants that mess? You have to peel tomatoes and the juice splashes everywhere, etc. The list goes on. Or so I thought. Turns out I was wrong. Yes, it can be messy to make your own sauce, but it’s not that bad and it’s totally worth it. I never should have hesitated. I now LOVE making my own Simple Homemade Marinara Sauce with Garlic & Basil.
Not only is it way healthier to eat, but it makes your entire home smell amazing and it tastes so much better than that stuff from the jar. There is nothing better than the mix of fresh-snipped basil and ripe tomatoes with a splash of olive oil. There is a reason pasta marinara is a household staple, and it’s not just because it’s a cheap, quick fix. It’s really good, too. Pasta marinara is so simple, yet when you get a realllllly good noodle with an impeccable sauce, there’s just nothing better for a crisp, cool night!
My garden has been producing an overwhelming amount of tomatoes so my partner and I are hurrying to make sure none of our homegrown tomatoes go to waste. With a half dozen jars of salsa under our belt, we moved onto canning the following marinara sauce recipe.
Go ahead and give it a try. Let me know what you think!
Cheers and happy eating!
Jocelyn
* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!
Simple Homemade Marinara Sauce with Garlic & Basil
- Prep Time: 10 minutes — Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ~32 ounces
- 5 pounds fresh tomatoes (~30 tomatoes of various size)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, removed from the stem
- 1 sprig fresh oregano, removed from the stem
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground salt
- Pepper, red pepper, and extra garlic, to taste
Directions
- Prepare the tomatoes:
- Cut a small x on the side of each tomato and drop then one by one into boiling water for ~10 seconds.
- Immediately remove the tomatoes and place them in an ice bath. The skin should easily peel off.
- I also then remove the core of the tomato with a small knife, or interestingly enough, a lemon juice tool. There is no need to “seed.”
- Prepare the infused olive oil:
- Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a medium – large stockpot on medium heat.
- Add diced onion and garlic.
- Sauté until onions are translucent and beginning to caramelize (about 6 minutes).
- Add the chopped basil leaves, oregano, and thyme. Sauté a few more minutes.
- Remove the pot from the stove and strain the olive oil.
- Remove the bits and pieces, put the oil back in the stockpot, and add the tomatoes.
- Simmer your sauce over low heat for 45 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings, and taste as you go.
- The sauce should ‘cook down’ and begin to look a bit darker.
- Enjoy immediately over your favorite pasta, store in the fridge up to one week, or can it accordingly.
- Mangia! Mangia!
The post Simple Homemade Marinara Sauce with Garlic & Basil appeared first on Vegan Hostess.
]]>The post Recipe: Summer Pasta with Sautéed Eggplant & Zucchini appeared first on Vegan Hostess.
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Hello everyone,
This hearty pasta dish comes together in under 30 minutes, but it looks like it would take much longer! It’s quick and easy—warm and inviting. It’s simply the perfect dish for a post-work date night. What’s your favorite date night dish? Let me know!
Jocelyn
PS – Like this recipe? Check out my homemade gnocchi!
* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate and referral links. I may earn a commission or bonus if you click through to make a purchase. All opinions are my own. I only work with companies and brands I personally support.
Summer Pasta with Sautéed Eggplant & Zucchini
***Please feel free to share widely, just give me some credit or a link back
Prep Time: ~10 minutes; Cook Time: 15-20 minutes; Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 medium Japanese eggplants
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 pound dry pasta, whole wheat fusilli
- 6 cloves, garlic, finely minced
- 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
- 4 tablespoons Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, thyme)
- 2 tbs, nutritional yeast
- red pepper flakes, to taste (I used 2 teaspoons)
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 3-4 basil leaves per dish, hand torn
- Follow Your Heart “parmesan,” garnish
- Daiya Mozzerella shreds, garnish
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat water in a large soup pot with a pinch of salt until boiling.
- While the water is coming to a boil, peel the eggplant and slice the zucchini and eggplant into small bite size pieces.
- Note, there is no need to salt/ weep the vegetables.
- Sauté the eggplant and zucchini in a sauce pan with extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until slightly tender and golden brown. Approximately 5 minutes.
- Mince the garlic, and add it to the sauce pan. Stir well.
- Add the pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper, to taste.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- When the water starts boiling, add the whole wheat fusilli pasta, and cook according to package instructions.
- Drain the pasta and reserve some liquid to help thin the sauce.
- Put the pasta back in the pot, add the reserved liquid and the sauce mixture.
- Garnish with fresh basil and your favorite vegan cheese.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
The post Recipe: Summer Pasta with Sautéed Eggplant & Zucchini appeared first on Vegan Hostess.
]]>The post Recipe: Zucchini & Squash Casserole appeared first on Vegan Hostess.
]]>Casserole is such a timeless, satisfying, family-friendly dish. No wonder it’s been a household staple for years. However, I’ll admit – growing up, I was never a big fan, and my mother certainly didn’t attempt to make casseroles too often. Lately, I cannot seem to get enough. I suppose it could be due to the continued harvests from my garden. It’s certainly been a summer of squash, and I’ve fallen for zucchini & squash casserole.
cas·se·role ˈkasəˌrōl/
noun
1. a kind of stew or side dish that is cooked slowly in an oven.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-make comfort food side dish for your next meal, look no further! This recipe is so simple, with only 6 ingredients. You simply chop, swirl and stick it in the oven. It’s magically simple. Why not give it a try?
Cheers & happy eating!
Jocelyn
* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate and referral links. I may earn a commission or bonus if you click through to make a purchase. All opinions are my own. I only work with companies and brands I personally support.
Zucchini & Squash Casserole
***Please feel free to share widely, just give me some credit or a link back
Prep Time: ~10 minutes; Cook Time: 25-35 minutes; Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium squash
- 1 green onion
- ½ cup, Follow Your Heart “parmesan”
- ½ cup, Daiya Mozzerella shreds
- 2 tbs, nutritional yeast
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- dried oregano or basil, to taste
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F, and spray a 9×9 casserole dish with cooking oil.
- Slice the zucchini and squash into thin rounds (no need to salt/ weep).
- Chop the green onion into small rounds.
- Toss the zucchini and squash in olive oil.
- Place in a casserole dish in whatever pattern you wish. Tuck in the small pieces of green onion along the way.
- Drizzle a healthy amount of olive oil over the vegetables.
- In a small bowl, mix the mozzarella shreds, parmesan, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Place a thin layer of the mixture over the zucchini and squash.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
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]]>The post Recipe: Potato Gnocchi appeared first on Vegan Hostess.
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Hello everyone!
I’ve always loved Italian food. The smell of sauce cooking, the warm, filling qualities of the meals. ahhh… Pasta! Plus, I’m Italian, and I grew up eating pasta in all its forms. Since the fall, I’ve been trying to make various pastas from scratch, but one I was avoiding was gnocchi.
Why avoid gnocchi? Well, it’s hand down my favorite pasta and always has been. And I simply did not want to mess it up, or let myself down. Luckily, gnocchi is—dare I say—easy to make! And easy to make vegan!
Making gnocchi for the first time took me less than two hours, and it was absolutely scrumptious. It was probably the best gnocchi I’ve ever had. It was that good! The dough was pillowy, yet still dense enough to be chewy. The fork ‘rolling’ technique did the trick, and the pasta sauce stuck on the gnocchi in the best way.
I know spending a few hours making pasta isn’t feasible most nights of the week, but for that special occasion or on the weekend it’s well worth the effort! Give this simple three ingredient gnocchi recipe a try!
Mangia! Mangia!
Jocelyn
* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!
Potato Gnocchi
***Please feel free to share widely, just give me some credit or a link back.
Prep Time: 90 minutes; Cook Time: 2-3 minutes
Ingredients/ Shopping List:
- 8 small-medium potatoes (not red) or 4 large potatoes
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (plus some extra)
- 1 tsp. table salt
- Tomato Sauce
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese (I used Follow Your Heart)
- Fresh basil
Directions:
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
- While the water is heating up, peel the potatoes.
- Once boiling, add the potatoes and boil until they are soft (fork tender).
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Mash the potatoes with a metal food masher, ricer, or other mashing tool.
- Add the salt and flour and knead the mixture until a smooth dough forms.
- Dump out the old water from boiling the potatoes, and bring a fresh pot of water to a boil.
- While the water is heating up starting rolling out your gnocchi on a lightly floured surface.
- I suggest splitting your dough into 6 sections and rolling them one-by-one into a rope.
- Aim for a rope about an inch wide, perhaps a little less.
- Cut small 1″ gnocchi ‘pillows’ and set aside.
- Once you have your gnocchi ‘pillows,’ begin rolling them down the curved side of a fork. This will enable the sauce to better stick to the gnocchi and is the traditional style.
- Now is a good time to heat your marinera sauce with any additional herbs/ veggies on the stove.
- Cover with a lid, and let simmer.
- When the water is boiling, transfer the gnocchi.
- Do not overcook!
- The gnocchi should float to the surface after 90 sec. – 2 minutes.
- Remove the gnocchi’s with a skimmer as they float to the top to avoid any gnocchi from overcooking.
- Transfer to the saucepan.
- Combine the gnocchi, and marinera sauce.
- Plate your gnocchi dishes, and serve with vegan parmesan and garnish.
- Enjoy! Mangia! Mangia!
The post Recipe: Potato Gnocchi appeared first on Vegan Hostess.
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