I need a vegan sauce to go with gnocchi?

**Bathsheba** · November 6th, 2009, 11:35 AM

I'd dice a pumpkin roast until caramelized (toss in olive oil first, maybe add a few sprigs of rosemary and a pinch of salt) in a hot oven. While that is cooking finely dice and fry some shallots (the purple ones) or just some onions. Add some garlic and seasoning (salt and black pepper). If your sis likes spicy food then add a pinch of cayenne/chilli. Add about half a tin of diced tomatoes. Cook until the shallots/onions look soft and transparent. Dry roast (ideally on a cast iron pan) a handful of pine nuts, then set aside for garnishing. When everything is cooked toss together with an extra splash of virgin olive oil. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top just before serving with a generous quantity of finely chopped parsley. My family love this. I find the pumpkin breaks down and clings to the pasta really well... meaning you don't need cream etc.

ETA: snap Talia!

**Talia*L** · November 6th, 2009, 11:40 AM

Ohh yes top with toasted pine nuts! Yum!

**Bathsheba** · November 6th, 2009, 11:45 AM

I find the pine nuts replace the flavour of the cheese... and also provide extra protein... I used to eat them alot when i was a vego. They can be exxy... walnuts (chopped and dry roasted) also is a good, slightly cheaper alternative.

**Talia*L** · November 6th, 2009, 11:47 AM

I just wanted to add - I do a MASSIVE load of roasted veggies (8 - 12 types) each week, a few oven-loads. I then store them in containers in the fridge, and use them for pastas, pizzas, tarts, quiche, lasagne, even blend them up and make filling for ravioli.

This is great for vegans or people needing more veggies in their lives, as it's just a one-off effort each week, instead of peeling and preparing each night.

**~Phoenix~** · November 6th, 2009, 12:14 PM

Gnocchi Puttanesca - you can ditch the anchovies for some extra chillies etc & pinenuts as a cheese substitute.

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 small red chilli, seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
800g canned chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tbs baby capers, rinsed
100g small pitted black olives
800g potato gnocchi
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated parmesan, to serve
Method
Heat the olive oil in a deep frypan over low heat, add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, anchovy fillets and chilli and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the onion has softened and the anchovies have dissolved. Add the white wine, chopped tomato, bay leaf and rinsed capers, then cook for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Season - remembering that the anchovies, capers and olives are all quite salty - then stir in the olives.
Towards the end of the sauce cooking time, cook the potato gnocchi in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain.
Add the gnocchi and the flat-leaf parsley to the sauce and toss well.
Serve the gnocchi sprinkled with grated parmesan.

Whenever we've made gnocchi at home (italian family) we usually just have it with a basic tomato based napolitana type sauce, with chilli added

**LimeSlice** · November 6th, 2009, 12:19 PM

Don't forget you can use coconut milk in place of cream or milk to make a white based sauce...roasted curry pumkin is one of our fav's with gnocchi

**Janie** · November 6th, 2009, 01:56 PM

And if you want a REALLY easy, cheat's tomato sauce, try this

Heat some olive oil in a pan......add a whole clove of garlic.........when you can smell the garlic add 400g crushed tinned tomatoes........add some salt..........simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

It's great when you need a sauce REALLY quickly, and don't like using packet ones

**Fleur** · November 6th, 2009, 04:35 PM

I just wanted to add - I do a MASSIVE load of roasted veggies (8 - 12 types) each week, a few oven-loads. I then store them in containers in the fridge, and use them for pastas, pizzas, tarts, quiche, lasagne, even blend them up and make filling for ravioli.

This is great for vegans or people needing more veggies in their lives, as it's just a one-off effort each week, instead of peeling and preparing each night.

sorry don't want to hijack

but I just wanted to ask - how long do they keep okay in the fridge?

Some great ideas here

I wish I had something to contribute but I've got nothing on these