Gluten Free Gnocchi with Beet and Rainbow Chard

Medically reviewed by Abbey Sharp, Registered Dietitian (RD), BASc.

This Gluten Free Gnocchi with Beets and Brown Butter Rainbow Chard is an elegant vegetarian dish that is guaranteed to please.

As someone who works in food full time, I’m often asked what my favourite food is. Yes, yes, it’s like choosing a favourite child (which I’m sure is not as hard as people make it out to be), but really, the answer is always much more complicated. It could depend on if I feel like something fancy or simple, light or hearty, and what else I’ve eaten that day.

But one of the dishes that is consistently at the top of my list is gnocchi. I might be biased, but my go to gnocchi dish is my gluten free Beet Gnocchi with Brown Butter Rainbow Chard. There is something really satisfying about little bites of pillowy pasta draped in a delicate sauce, and while I am all for a simple traditional potato dumpling, I like to switch things up.

Why This Recipe Works

Why try this gluten free gnocchi? Let me tell you.

• Packed with antioxidants
• Light, tasty and perfectly pillowy
• Amazing for fall or winter entertaining
• They’re PRETTY!

Key Ingredients

Beets: I used a combination of golden and regular beets for a pretty mix of colours, but you can use whichever you have on hand. I love beets for the sweet, slightly earthy flavour they bring to this gluten free gnocchi.

Parmesan: Essential for a lightly cheesy, umami flavour. For the best flavour, I recommend buying fresh shredded parm or shredding your own.

Gluten free flour: I have only tested this recipe with a gluten free all purpose flour. Choose whichever brand you prefer, however ensure that it can be substituted 1 for 1 with regular all purpose flour.

Rainbow chard: Jam-packed with nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C and magnesium. This leafy green is so delicious to help lighten up a gnocchi dish.

Sage: I love simmering sage in butter to quickly infuse a ton of flavour. Try to use fresh sage if possible.

How To Make This Recipe

Step One: Preheat oven to 450 F and wrap the red beets in foil and the golden beets in another sheet of foil. Roast until very tender, about 1 hour – 1 1/2 hours. Peel and dice.

Step Two: Starting with the golden beets, transfer to a food processor and puree until fairly smooth. Add in 1/4 cup ricotta and puree until very smooth. Then add 1 tbsp egg, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese,  1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp flour, pinch nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Pulse just until combined. If the dough is way too wet to work with you can add more flour, one tablespoon at a time.

Step Three: Put flour on your surface and grab about 1/4 cup worth of dough. Roll it into a log shape then cut into 1 cm little pieces. Don’t worry about them all being the same, I prefer them to be a bit asymmetrical and unique. Set the golden gnocchi aside on a baking sheet lined with a silpat.

Step Four: Rinse out the food processor and do the same with the red beets. Place them on a separate baking sheet.

Step Five: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the golden beet gnocchi. They will only take a few minutes, and when they float, they’re done. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the baking sheet again.

Step Six: Drain and refill the pot with fresh salted water, then cook the red beet gnocchi the same.

Step Seven: Meanwhile, to a large nonstick skillet heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the stems of the chard and saute for 2 minutes until slightly softened. Add in the leaves and toss just until wilted. Add the balsamic and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate or bowl.

Step Eight: Add the additional tablespoon of oil to the pan and add in the gnocchi. Cook until browned and caramelized, then add back the chard. Turn off the heat and let it sit in the pan to stay warm.

Step Nine: Finally, using a stainless steel pan (so you can see the colour change better), melt the butter over medium heat. Once it foams, add sage and cook until crisp and fragrant. Remove sage to a plate and return frying pan to stove. Allow the milk solids to begin to brown and the butter to become fragrant and nutty. Scrape along the bottom to prevent the solids from sticking and burning. Once fragrant and nutty, add a pinch each of salt and pepper and immediately remove from the heat.

Step Ten: Transfer the gnocchi and chard to a serving plate and drizzle with the browned butter. Top with extra parmesan, crushed walnuts and the crispy sage. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

Make sure you roast or boil your beets until they’re SUPER soft. They have to be cooked well enough that you can puree them to a soft luscious texture.

When it comes to making the gnocchi, you don’t want to overwork them. It’s also a bit of a feel thing in terms of how much flour you add. You might need a little bit more, but I do suggest trying to hold back as much as you can. The goal with gluten free gnocchi is to add as little flour as you can get away with while still being able to roll the dough.

Since this has veggies, it’s going to be pretty wet (don’t forget there are veggies in there!). I like to then add a lot of flour to your rolling surface and letting it absorb only what it needs. The less flour, the lighter the gluten free beet gnocchi will be!

Recipe FAQs

More Recipes You Might Like

Enjoyed this beet gnocchi recipe? If you want more fun beet recipes, give these a try!

• Walnut Cauliflower Tacos with Pickled Beets
• Baked Beet Chips with Creamy Orange Dip
• Yellow Beet Coconut Curry Soup
• Beet Green Pesto Zoodles
• Tahini Beet Power Bowl

Have you ever made gluten free gnocchi before? If you’ve made this beet gnocchi before, let me know how it went!

Gluten Free Beet Gnocchi with Brown Butter Rainbow Chard

This gluten free Beet Gnocchi with Brown Butter Rainbow Chard is an elegant dish for entertaining this holiday season.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 539kcal

Author: Abbey Sharp

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

• ▢ 6 oz red beets
• ▢ 6 oz golden beets
• ▢ 1/2 cup light ricotta divided
• ▢ 2 tbsp beaten egg divided
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated parmesan divided
• ▢ 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour divided plus more for rolling
• ▢ 1/8 tsp nutmeg divided
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cinnamon divided
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt divided
• ▢ 1/4 tsp pepper divided

Chard:

• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 bunch rainbow chard stems removed and chopped and leaves chiffonade
• ▢ 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ▢ Salt and pepper

Sauce and Garnish:

• ▢ ¼ cup butter
• ▢ 12 small sage leaves
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ Parmesan cheese grated
• ▢ Walnuts crushed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 F and wrap the red beets in foil and the golden beets in another sheet of foil. Roast until very tender, about 1 hour – 1 1/2 hours. Peel and dice.
• Starting with the golden beets, transfer to a food processor and puree until fairly smooth. Add in 1/4 cup ricotta and puree until very smooth. Then add 1 tbsp egg, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese,  1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp flour, pinch nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Pulse just until combined. If the dough is way too wet to work with you can add more flour, one tablespoon at a time.
• Put flour on your surface and grab about 1/4 cup worth of dough. Roll it into a log shape then cut into 1 cm little pieces. Don’t worry about them all being the same, I prefer them to be a bit assymetrical and unique. Set the golden gnocchi aside on a baking sheet lined with a silpat.
• Rinse out the food processor and do the same with the red beets. Place them on a separate baking sheet.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the golden beet gnocchi. They will only take a few minutes, and when they float, they’re done. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the baking sheet again.
• Drain and refill the pot with fresh salted water, then cook the red beet gnocchi the same.
• Meanwhile, to a large nonstick skillet heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the stems of the chard and saute for 2 minutes until slightly softened. Add in the leaves and toss just until wilted. Add the balsamic and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
• Add the additional tablespoon of oil to the pan and add in the gnocchi. Cook until browned and caramelized, then add back the chard. Turn off the heat and let it sit in the pan to stay warm.
• Finally, using a stainless steel pan (so you can see the colour change better), melt the butter over medium heat. Once it foams, add sage and cook until crisp and fragrant. Remove sage to a plate and return frying pan to stove. Allow the milk solids to begin to brown and the butter to become fragrant and nutty. Scrape along the bottom to prevent the solids from sticking and burning. Once fragrant and nutty, add a pinch each of salt and pepper and immediately remove from the heat.
• Transfer the gnocchi and chard to a serving plate and drizzle with the browned butter. Top with extra parmesan, crushed walnuts and the crispy sage. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 743mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1401IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 4mg

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Updated on November 23rd, 2023

Abbey Sharp

Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.