Cauliflower, Kale & Sweet Potato Gnocchi Bake
I love a good pasta bake. The creamier, the better. Especially in the winter.
I also love gnocchi. Little fluffy potato pasta that is delicious to eat and surprisingly easy – and incredibly cheap – to make (although shop-bought will work well in this if you don’t have the time or inclination).
So naturally, a creamy gnocchi bake was always going to be a win for me. And it certainly helps that my family love it, too.
This pasta bake is vegetarian with gluten free and vegan options, and while it takes a long time to make, it is really easy to batch cook and freeze, assembled before the final 15 minutes bake, and cook at a later date for a quick “freezer meal” supper.
This is a winner for crowds, as it’s easy to double (which I always recommend for longer recipes anyway to save the effort the next time), and it is super filling, meaning a little goes a long way.
It’s also packed with plenty of winter veg, making it wonderfully seasonal, as well as rich in nutrients and perfect for filling up winter-cold-ridden bodies in the colder weather. Although I love this particular combination of vegetables, you can of course swap in other winter veg – broccoli works in place of cauliflower, you can swap in any greens for the kale, and squash or pumpkin or even another root vegetable for the sweet potato. Other lovely winter veg for this include: sautéed mushrooms, softened or grated courgettes, roasted carrots, roasted fennel or softened green beans.
We love blue cheese in our family, and it pairs beautifully with the cauliflower and kale (not to mention throws in a little probiotic for good measure), but you can of course leave it out or replace with your favourite crumbled or grated cheese instead if you are not as big a fan as we are.
This creamy, cheesy gnocchi bake is a wonderful comfort food dinner to warm you from the inside out. It is a crowd pleaser with gluten free and vegan options so everyone can enjoy it, and can easily be batch-cooked and frozen. Packed with winter veg, this creamy family meal is great for fuelling the family through winter colds. Super filling, meaning a little stretches a long way!
- 1 head fresh cauliflower, cut into smallish florets (or 1/2 bag frozen)
- 1-2 large sweet potato(es), cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (use olive oil for dairy free)
- 2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour (use 1 tablespoon each rice flour and cornflour/cornstarch for gluten free)
- 500 ml (2 cups) full-fat milk (use oat milk, oat cream, or unsweetened almond milk, for dairy free)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 125 g (4.5oz) Stilton or other blue cheese, crumbled (skip, or use 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes and a pinch of sea salt for dairy free/vegan)
- 500g (17oz) gnocchi (gluten free if needed - or homemade (see Notes for a simple recipe I use*))
- 1/2 large (500g/1lb) bag fresh kale, stalks removed and leaves torn into small pieces
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Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Lay the cauliflower and sweet potato out on a large baking tray or roasting dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt & black pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the sweet potato is soft and the cauliflower is golden and softened.
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To make the white sauce: Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until melted, then whisking in the flour. Cook out the flour for 30 seconds, then very slowly start drizzling in the milk, whisking constantly, until all the milk is incorporated and the whole thing is smooth. Stir through the mustard and blue cheese.
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Cook the gnocchi in boiling water for 1 minute, until just starting to pop up to the surface, then drain and pour into a large ovenproof casserole dish. Stir through the roasted vegetables and kale, then the white sauce. Top with Parmesan or breadcrumbs, if you like, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes before serving with a side salad, if you like.
*I make my own gnocchi by mashing 1kg (2lbs) peeled potatoes, cooked until soft, and mixing with 2 egg yolks, sea salt & black pepper, some rosemary or thyme, and gluten free flour until it makes a soft dough. Then I roll the dough into long sausage-shaped strips and cut into gnocchi. Cook just as with shop-bought gnocchi.
Hi! How large are the packs of gnocchi you recommend? The ones at our local market vary between 9 oz to 17 oz, so it makes a big difference! Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try this.
Hi Carla, I think one 17oz pack would do fine if you are making the recipe as is (6-8 serves), as the veg bulks it out quite a lot. I will change the recipe to add this, thanks for the heads up!