Cheesy Gnocchi Traybake
Elevate your weekly pasta dish with this super cheesy gnocchi bake. The tofu ‘ricotta’ only takes 5 minutes and packs a protein punch.
Share your creations with us by using #veganrecipeclub and tagging @veganrecipeclub
Preparation time
15 min
Cook time
30 min
Total time
45
Cuisine
Italian
Meal
- mains
- lunches
Servings
4
Ingredients
5 minute ‘ricotta’
- 35g/¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 425g/15 oz firm tofu, drained and patted dry
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ tsp salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 20g/⅓ cup nutritional yeast
Gnocchi bake
- 1 x 400g/14 oz tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 100ml/½ cup boiling water
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp sugar or 2 tsp syrup (eg maple or agave)
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 500g/18 oz cherry tomatoes
- 150g/5 oz spinach
- 700g/25 oz gnocchi (use gluten-free if needed)
- ½ tsp salt
- 15 fresh basil leaves, stalks removed
- 200g/2 cups vegan cheese, grated
- 5 tbsp vegan Parmesan (optional)
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 5.
5 minute ‘ricotta’
- Blend the sunflower seeds in a food processor or using the milling blade on your blender.
- Add the garlic and blend.
- Add all the other ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Set aside until needed.
Gnocchi traybake
- Using an ovenproof dish, combine the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, boiling water, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, spinach, half the gnocchi and crumble in the ‘ricotta’ cheese. Mix everything together and make sure it’s evenly spaced.
- Add in the rest of the gnocchi, distributing it evenly across the pan.
- Sprinkle over the half teaspoon of salt then cover the top of the dish with the fresh basil leaves.
- Evenly distribute the vegan cheese over the top and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Cover the top of the dish with foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, take off the foil and then place the dish in the oven for another 15 minutes or until golden and the cheese has melted.
Optional serving suggestions: antipasto, crusty bread, garlic bread, olives, olive tapenade, roasted vegetables, salad, steamed vegetables, vegan feta salad, vegan mayo
Keywords
Did you know that Vegan Recipe Club is run by a charity?
We create vital resources to help educate everyone – vegan veterans, novices and the v-curious alike – about vegan food, health and nutrition; as well as the plight of farmed animals and the devastating environmental impact of farming.
Through this work we have helped thousands of people discover veganism; but we want to reach millions more! We rely entirely on donations as we don’t get any government funding. If you already support us, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, you are really making a difference! Please share our details with your friends and loved ones too, as every donation enables us to keep fighting for change.
Related recipes
Smoky Jerk-Glazed Kebabs & Superfood Salad With Pineapple & Mint Dressing
This has been a winning dish with vegans and non-vegans alike every time I’ve produced it. Summery, bursting with flavour/freshness (and protein woo hoo) and a real crowd-pleaser for those…
Pumpkin Fritters
This is a very nostalgic recipe for me as it’s a version of my mum’s pumpkin fritters, which she used to make for us when I was growing up in…
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
If your family is anything like mine, they love pasta! This is a quick and easy recipe for a nourishing pasta sauce. It’s similar to pesto but a lot creamier,…
Healthy Rocky Road (high-protein)
For all the chocolate lovers out there who want to indulge whilst keeping it healthy. Packed full of nuts, dried fruit and four sources of protein – you’ll be zinging…
Vanilla & Almond Chia Pudding
This tiny little seed truly is a nutritional powerhouse – it’s an excellent source of energy, healthy omega-3 fats, protein, fibre, calcium, potassium, magnesium, selenium and iron – wow, we’re…
5-Minute Toasted Mixed Seeds
This is the quickest (and tastiest) way we’ve found of adding a delicious mix of crunch, texture and all the nutrients seeds have to offer, to a wide variety of…