Vegan and Gluten Free Carrot Gnocchi

1. Steam the carrots in a steamer or steamer basket for 25 minutes, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot, nutritional yeast, and sea salt. Form a shallow well in the middle.
3. Transfer the steamed carrots to a food processor and process for 30 seconds, or until puréed, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. The texture won’t be perfectly smooth but rather like a thorough mash.
4. Add the carrot purée to the center of the flour well. Use a spatula to mix until the dry ingredients have been incorporated, folding the flour mixture in to the carrots. Then, add the oat flour 1/4 cup at a time and mix. Repeat until 3/4 cup has been incorporated. Allow the dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then evaluate whether or not you need to add the additional 1/4 cup***. The dough should be tacky yet easy to handle when dusted with oat flour.
5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and bring a large stockpot of water to a vigorous boil.
6. Liberally flour a clean work surface with more oat flour and turn the dough out onto it.
7. Gently shape the dough into a disc, and slice into four equal pieces.
8. One at a time, gently knead each piece of dough for a few seconds to smooth out. Then, roll into a 1-inch thick rope. Slice the rope into equal 1-inch pieces. Gently roll each down the backside of a fork, allowing the tines to make soft imprints. Transfer to the lined baking tray. Repeat until all of the dough has been formed.
9. Add about 1/3 of the gnocchi to the boiling water. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Do not overcook. Use a pasta scoop to remove from the water and transfer to a serving bowl.
10. Repeat until all of the gnocchi is cooked.
11. Serve the gnocchi warm with sauce of choice. I recommend making an herb-infused olive oil or herb-infused vegan butter, sea salt, and black pepper (see notes). They’re also delicious when pan-fried in an herb-infused sauce.

Recipe Notes

1. *Blanched almond flour is different than almond meal. It’s lighter and airer. If you substitute it with almond meal, do so at your own risk as I haven’t tested the recipe with that swap.
2. **Please, for the sake of all things delicious, do not substitute the oat flour with coconut flour. Coconut flour isn’t a suitable 1:1 replacement for oat flour (or any flour for that matter) and will result in dry, inedible rocks instead of pillowy pasta.
3. ***Keep in mind that the more flour you add, the heavier/denser the gnocchi will become. I typically have to add just shy of 1 cup but go on look and feel of the dough.
4. To make an herb-infused olive oil or vegan butter: Add a few tablespoons of olive oil or vegan butter to a sauté pan along with chopped fresh parsley (or herbs of choice), fresh minced garlic or a few shakes of garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if desired). Heat over medium-low for 2 to 4 minutes, or until hot and simmering. Spoon over the gnocchi.