This beet gnocchi is beautiful with a vibrant red color, pillowy texture, and a subtle earthy taste. It's perfect for holiday entertaining, date nights, or special occasions like valentine's day. It's made with just five simple ingredients, and there's no special equipment required!

If you're after a pasta that will impress, try our date night wonton ravioli with beets and goat cheese.

beet gnocchi in a white dish with a serving spoon

Table of contents

These beet gnocchi are pillowy and soft with a striking deep magenta color.

The idea for beet gnocchi first came to us from a recipe we saw in NY Times Cooking several years ago. We've kept the general idea of that recipe, but made some changes so the recipe is easier to make.

If you've been intimidated to make gnocchi at home, we understand! We were too before we made it the first time. You can trust us when we say there's nothing to fear. If you have a food processor or a high-speed blender at home, you can make it too.

Beet gnocchi is an impressive dish that will make you look like an absolute kitchen rockstar. It isn't difficult to make, but it's definitely more of a ‘pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the process type of recipe.

To make it, you simply boil the potatoes with the beets until they're fork-tender. Add flour and salt, then mash, mix, and knead it all together into a dough. Roll the dough into logs, cut it into 1″ pieces, and cook them in salted water until they float. If you like them crispy, there's an optional step of frying them until one side is brown.

Serve it topped with pesto, or a simple sage and brown butter sauce, and a side salad for a complete and delicious meal. It's an elegant dish to make for someone special, for holiday dinners, or as a new recipe to add to your repertoire!

forming beet gnocchi with a gnocchi board

Beet gnocchi ingredients

You only need five simple ingredients to make this beautiful beet gnocchi! Here's everything you need:

  • Russet potatoes – russet potatoes tend to be dry and starchy, making them the perfect texture for light and fluffy gnocchi!
  • Beets – fresh red beets give this gnocchi an incredible vibrant red color and a subtle earthy flavor. Plus, they give this recipe a boost of nutrients. Just be sure to steer clear of canned beets.
  • Sea salt – we use a generous amount of sea salt because, just like with mashed potatoes, it helps bring out all the wonderful flavors.
  • All-purpose flour – we actually use a lot more flour than the original recipe calls for because we find it makes the dough easier to work with (less sticky).
  • Olive oil – for serving, to prevent the gnocchi from sticking together.

How to make beet gnocchi

Nothing compares to the taste and texture of homemade gnocchi. This beet gnocchi recipe is perfect for date night or Valentine's Day. While it is time-consuming, it's a labor of love. And if you set aside the time to enjoy the process, you'll find that they steps are surprisingly easy.

4 pictures showing how to make this beet gnocchi recipe steps 1-4
  1. Start by boiling the potatoes and beets together until they're fork-tender.
  2. Drain them and then let them steam dry for a few minutes.
  3. In your food processor, blend the beets until they're smooth.
  4. Mash the potatoes in a bowl and then add the blended beets and some salt.
4 pictures showing how to make this beet gnocchi recipe steps 5-8
  1. Next, add some of the flour and mix until only a few streaks of flour remain.
  2. Turn the sticky dough out onto a floured work surface (like your kitchen table or counter) and knead the remaining flour into the dough. It's ready when it only feels slightly sticky and it comes together into a ball.
  3. Cut the ball into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then roll each ball into a 1″ log. Cut the log into 1″ pieces and then place the gnocchi onto a parchment-lined surface or baking sheet.
  4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi in two batches. They're done when they float to the surface of the water. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out, transfer them to a bowl, and drizzle them with olive oil.

Optional step: to give this gnocchi a crispy side, heat a frying pan with some olive oil and fry the gnocchi until it starts to brown. Crispy yumminess!

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

FAQS

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi are Italian dumplings that are treated much like pasta. They're doughy, pillow-like, and soft and can be served with any sauce you like!

Does gnocchi require eggs?

Some recipes call for eggs, but ours does not which means that it's good for vegans, too!

Can I make them gluten-free?

While we haven't tried them with a different flour, they could work with a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum.

How do you get the ridges on the gnocchi?

To get that classic ridged look, you can roll the gnocchi on a gnocchi board or on the tines of a fork. This is by far the most time-consuming part of the recipe. It's not necessary though, gnocchi tastes great cooked right after it's cut; it looks like little pillows this way.Ā 

How do I store leftover gnocchi?

If you have leftover gnocchi, just make sure it's coated in a bit of sauce or olive oil before storing it so the pieces don't stick together. It will keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days.

What to eat with beet gnocchi

Our favorite way to enjoy beet gnocchi is with a sage and brown butter sauce, or simply with olive oil, shaved parmesan, and some salt and pepper. It also tastes incredible with tossed in some pesto – which, with its green and red colors, makes it looks festive and perfect for Christmas.

Serve it with a main or side salad for a complete and balanced meal.

Salads that pair perfectly with beet gnocchi

beet gnocchi served with pesto

Special occasion pasta recipes

bright pink beet gnocchi in a white bowl.

Pretty Beet Gnocchi Recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
This beet gnocchi is beautiful with a vibrant red color, pillowy texture, and a subtle earthy taste. It's perfect for holiday entertaining, date nights, or special occasions like Valentine's Day. It's made with just five simple ingredients, and there's no special equipment required!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

5 stars (57 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb Russet potatoes
  • Ā½ lb beets
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 Ā½ cups all-purpose flour, + more to dust
  • Olive oil, for the pot

Instructions 

  • Peel the potatoes and beets and cut them in half. Place them in a pot and cover them with 1 inch of water. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and beets are fork tender.
    1 lb Russet potatoes, Ā½ lb beets
    image for recipe instruction
  • Drain the potatoes and beets through a colander and let them steam dry for a couple of minutes.
    image for recipe instruction
  • Transfer the beets to your food processor and blend on high until mostly smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides several times.
    image for recipe instruction
  • Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and mash them well. Add the beets and salt to the bowl and mix them into the potatoes.
    1 teaspoon sea salt
    image for recipe instruction
  • Add 2 cups of flour to the bowl and mix it in so that only a few streaks of flour remain. The dough will still be very sticky.
    image for recipe instruction
  • Sprinkle a large work surface (such as your kitchen counter) with some of the flour. Put the on top them sprinkle more flour over it. Knead the flour into the dough, adding more about Ā½ cup at a time until the dough feels only very slightly sticky and comes together into a ball.
    2 Ā½ cups all-purpose flour
    image for recipe instruction
  • Form the dough into a ball and then cut it into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, adding more flour to the surface if it becomes sticky. Then roll each piece into a log about 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Place the gnocchi onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they don't touch each other. They will stick!
    image for recipe instruction
  • Put a large pot of well-salted water on the stove to boil. When the water comes to a boil, add half of the gnocchi and cook until they begin to float, about 3 minutes. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi and then toss the cooked gnocchi with some olive oil.
    image for recipe instruction

Optional step:

  • If you'd like, you may fry the gnocchi after you boil it. It's nice when one side is crispy. To fry the gnocchi, heat some olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and fry on one side until it starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes.
    image for recipe instruction

Notes

If you'd like, you can roll the gnocchi on a gnocchi board or on the tines of a fork. This is by far the most time-consuming part of the recipe. Gnocchi also tastes great cooked right after it's cut; it looks like little pillows this way.Ā 
Serving: 1 serving = Ā¼ of the recipe, Calories: 736kcal, Carbohydrates: 115g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 641mg, Potassium: 1537mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 516IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 165mg, Iron: 7mg
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