Zucchini Gnocchi

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There are no potatoes in this homemade Zucchini Gnocchi. It’s mostly zucchini with a little flour and cheese, pan-fried with marinara sauce. Delish!

You may be familiar with my cauliflower gnocchi, which inspired this new version. Since zucchini is in season, I played around with this recipe and loved how it turned out. I prefer to cook it in a skillet rather than boiling it, like potato gnocchi, for the best results. For more zucchini recipes, try this amazing Zucchini Lasagna, Zucchini Rollatini or these delicious Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats.

Zucchini Gnocchi Ingredients

Zucchini: Grate three pounds of zucchini with the large holes of a box grater.
Flour: You can use all-purpose or gluten-free flour.
Cheese: I used Pecorino Romano, but parmesan would also work. Mix some cheese into the gnocchi dough and save some to sprinkle on top if you’d like.
Salt to season
Gnocchi Sauce: Serve the zucchini gnocchi with marinara sauce. Buy your favorite brand or make homemade marinara. You could also top them with vodka sauce or pesto if you prefer.
Herbs: Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

How to Make Zucchini Gnocchi

Cook the Zucchini: Put the zucchini in a large, deep skillet or pot, cover, and cook until tender and soft for about eight to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Squeeze the zucchini of excess liquid by placing it in a dish towel and squeezing it until there’s no more water. Place the zucchini in a bowl.
Make the Gnocchi Dough: Add the flour, cheese, and salt to the bowl with the zucchini, and mix with a fork at first. Then use your hands to fold and squeeze everything together into a dough.
Create Ropes: Dust a work surface with flour and separate the dough into eight pieces weighing 2 ¾ ounces. One at a time, roll each ball into a half- inch rope that’s 10 inches long. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Cut Gnocchi: Cut each rope into 13 equal-sized pieces, slightly nudging the pieces apart so they’re not touching. You should end up with about 108 pieces. If the dough becomes too sticky, put some flour on your hands.
How to Cook the Gnocchi: Liberally spray a large skillet with oil and warm over medium heat. Place half of the gnocchi in the pan, making sure not to overcrowd it. After two minutes, gently flip them over with a spoon or tongs. Sprinkle salt over the tops and cook for a few more minutes. Remove them from the pan and cook the second batch.
Serving: Put the first batch of gnocchi back in the skillet and pour in the marinara. Top with grated cheese.

What to Serve with Zucchini Gnocchi

Since these healthy gnocchi are packed with veggies and topped with marinara, you could serve them by themselves. If you want to add a protein, try it with Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken, Filet Mignon, and Roasted Leg of Lamb.

How to Store Zucchini Gnocchi

Leftover zucchini gnocchi will last up to four days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet or microwave.
How to Freeze Raw Gnocchi: Flash freeze the gnocchi in a single layer on a sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer to a zip-locked bag, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before cooking.
How to Freeze Cooked Gnocchi: Freeze the gnocchi and sauce in single-serving containers for up to three months. When you need an easy meal, thaw a container overnight and then microwave or warm it on the stove.

More Zucchini Recipes You’ll Love

Prep: 40 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 1 hour

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 /4 of recipe, about 27 pieces

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.
Place the zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze out as much excess water as possible then place in a large bowl.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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Serving: 1 /4 of recipe, about 27 pieces, Calories: 216 kcal, Carbohydrates: 38 g, Protein: 7.5 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 1.5 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 679.5 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 13 g