Matcha gives these gnocchi a soft jade color and a faint, grassy bitterness that works surprisingly well with sweet roasted squash. The sauce is simple: vegan butter warmed with fresh ginger, orange zest and a splash of juice.
Traditional potato gnocchi often don't use egg at all, so making them vegan takes no swaps. The trick is dry potatoes. Bake them whole rather than boiling them, and you'll need less flour, which keeps the gnocchi light instead of chewy.
Getting the color right
The matcha goes into the flour, not the potato, so it spreads evenly as you knead. Two teaspoons gives a clear green without much bitterness. If you love the flavor of matcha, go up to a tablespoon.
The original Princess Tofu blog published a matcha gnocchi recipe back in 2013, and food sites still link to it. This is our own fully vegan version, written from scratch.
Ingredient notes and swaps
- Potatoes: floury varieties (Rooster, Maris Piper, russet) make light gnocchi. Waxy potatoes make them gluey.
- Flour: '00' flour gives the silkiest texture; plain flour is fine. For gluten-free gnocchi, use a gluten-free plain flour blend and handle the dough gently.
- Squash: pumpkin, kabocha or sweet potato work instead of butternut.
Tips for success
- Rice or mash the potatoes while hot, then let the steam escape before adding flour.
- Add the flour gradually and stop as soon as the dough holds together.
- Test one gnocchi first: if it falls apart in the water, knead in a little more flour.
Variations
- Sage brown butter: swap the ginger-orange butter for vegan butter browned with sage leaves.
- Without matcha: leave it out for classic potato gnocchi.
- Pesto: toss the gnocchi with basil pesto made without Parmesan.
What to serve it with
- A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette.
- Roasted Brussels sprouts or the shaved Brussels sprout slaw.
Matcha Gnocchi with Ginger-Orange Butter and Butternut Squash
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 1 kg (2¼ lb) floury potatoes, such as Rooster, Maris Piper or russet
- 200 g (about 1⅔ cups) plain or '00' flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp culinary-grade matcha powder
- 1 tsp fine salt
Squash
- 500 g (1 lb) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Ginger-orange butter
- 60 g (4 tbsp) vegan butter
- 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange, plus 3 tbsp juice
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick the potatoes and bake them whole for about 1 hour, until completely soft.
- After 35 minutes, toss the squash with the oil and salt on a tray and roast alongside the potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden.
- Halve the hot potatoes and scoop out the flesh. Pass it through a ricer or mash it very smoothly, then spread it out to let the steam escape for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the matcha and salt into the flour. Sprinkle it over the potato and bring it together into a soft dough with your hands. Knead only until smooth.
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a rope about 2 cm thick on a floured surface and cut into 2 cm pieces.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches; lift them out with a slotted spoon about 30 seconds after they float.
- Melt the vegan butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add the orange zest and juice.
- Add the gnocchi and squash and toss for 2 minutes until glossy. Season, and serve topped with pumpkin seeds.
Texture: baking rather than boiling the potatoes keeps them dry, which means less flour and lighter gnocchi.
Brown them: for crisp edges, fry the boiled gnocchi in the butter for 3 to 4 minutes before adding the orange.
Storage: cooked gnocchi keep in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat in a hot pan.