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Frozen Cauliflower Gnocchi with Spicy Tomato Sauce

4.64 from 33 community reviews

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Cauliflower gnocchi with a thick and spicy Italian tomato sauce. This is an easy, meatless dish that cooks in one pan in just 15 minutes.

A pan full of gnocchi pasta in a thick tomato sauce.

This is a recipe using a bag of frozen, store-bought cauliflower gnocchi, and it’s so good! The dish takes about 15 minutes to make and it cooks in one skillet. You end up with creamy-textured gnocchi in a thick tomato sauce, boosted with garlic and spicy red chili.

Cauliflower gnocchi look just like their original starchy counterpart, which are bite-size potato dumplings traditionally made with wheat flour, mashed potato and egg.

A bag of cauliflower gnocchi, can of tomatoes, onion, garlic and red pepper on a surface.

These gnocchi are made without any of those ingredients. There was a lot of fuss in the foodie-sphere when TJ’s frozen cauliflower gnocchi first appeared in the market back in 2018. That’s because for those who avoid fluffy pasta, a product made with cauliflower satisfies many otherwise verboten cravings.

Yes, I’m that person who makes homemade gnocchi at the drop of a hat! Aside from that, I happen to love cauliflower recipes in all forms. So, put those two facts together and I kind of needed to try them out.

Ingredients in cauliflower gnocchi

Depending on the brand, ingredients listed on the package usually have:

  • Cauliflower
  • Cassava flour
  • Potato starch
  • Sea salt
  • Extra-virgin olive oil.
Trader Joe's Frozen Cauliflower Gnocchi Recipe

For sure, we have to admit that the charm of any kind of gnocchi is that they have a comfortingly soft texture. But let’s face it — they’re on the blander side, taste-wise. Plain gnocchi cries out to be covered in tangy, spicy sauce.

How to cook cauliflower gnocchi

If you use frozen gnocchi, there’s not much prep you need to do for this recipe. The gnocchi go straight from freezer to pan, no need to thaw.

  1. First, slice onion, grate or finely slice some garlic and red chili.
  2. Grab a 10-12″ nonstick skillet and add the frozen gnocchi and water. Cover and cook for a few minutes, then add the sauce ingredients and stir.
  3. Allow everything to simmer for another 5 minutes. The sauce will cook down and meld with the starch in the cauliflower to make a thick sauce.
Cauliflower Gnocchi with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Frozen Cauliflower Gnocchi in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Karen Tedesco
Cauliflower gnocchi in a thick, spicy Italian tomato sauce. This is an easy pasta dish that cooks in one pan in just 15 minutes.
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4.64 from 33 community reviews
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 12-ounce (350 g) package frozen cauliflower gnocchi, such as Trader Joe's
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 fresh red chili, chopped
  • ½ cup (80 g) thinly sliced onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red chili, or to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 14-ounce can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Instructions 

  • Empty the package of gnocchi into a large nonstick skillet (no need to thaw). Add the water, cover the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook exactly 6 minutes.
  • Add the onion, garlic, red pepper and salt and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover and cook 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens a bit and the gnocchi are tender but not falling apart (don't overcook).
  • Serve warm in bowls sprinkled with parsley and cheese.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

  • If you don’t like hot and spicy sauces, reduce the amount of red pepper by half, or omit it.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal Carbohydrates: 15g Protein: 3g Fat: 29g Sodium: 794mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 6g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.

4.64 from 33 votes (33 ratings without comment)

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