Pretty Beet Gnocchi

These beet gnocchi are soft, pillowy, and beautifully vibrant, with a deep magenta color that makes them feel extra special. Made with simple ingredients and an approachable method, this is one of those recipes that looks impressive on the plate but is surprisingly satisfying to make at home.

These beet gnocchi are soft, pillowy, and boldly colored, with a deep magenta hue that makes them feel instantly special. The idea was originally inspired by a recipe I saw in NY Times Cooking years ago, but I’ve tested and tweaked it over time to make the process more approachable while keeping that beautiful color and tender texture intact.

If making gnocchi at home feels intimidating, I completely get it—I felt the same way before my first batch. With russet potatoes, fresh beets, flour, and salt, the dough comes together more easily than you might expect, especially if you have a food processor or high-speed blender to help things along. It’s not difficult, but it is the kind of recipe I like to make slowly, maybe with a glass of wine nearby, enjoying each step.

I boil the potatoes and beets together until fork-tender, then mash them with flour and salt to form a soft dough. After rolling and cutting the gnocchi, they cook quickly in salted water until they float, and I’ll sometimes give them a quick pan-fry for crispy edges. Finished with pesto or a simple sage brown butter and a side salad, this is an elegant, satisfying dish that’s perfect special dinners, or anytime I’m in the mood to cook something a little out of the ordinary. It’s also a wonderful holiday meal – the pink hue makes it perfect for Valentine’s, but if you serve it with pesto it takes on a festive green and red look.

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 the steps are surprisingly easy.

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.

5. Next, add some of the flour and mix until only a few streaks of flour remain.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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!

Store uncooked gnocchi

Homemade gnocchi is best enjoyed fresh, soon after it’s made. You can store it in the fridge for a few hours, but the gnocchi need to be arranged in a single layer and kept from touching, as they’re quite sticky and can easily clump together.

For longer storage, freezing uncooked gnocchi is the best option. Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure none are touching, and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready to cook, simply boil the gnocchi straight from the freezer—no thawing needed.

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Pretty Beet Gnocchi Recipe

Prep: 2 hours hrs

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

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These beet gnocchi are soft, pillowy, and beautifully vibrant, with a deep magenta color that makes them feel extra special. Made with simple ingredients and an approachable method, this is one of those recipes that looks impressive on the plate but is surprisingly satisfying to make at home.

4

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb Russet potatoes
• ▢ ½ lb beets
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 2 ½ 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, ½ lb beets
  
• Drain the potatoes and beets through a colander and let them steam dry for a couple of minutes.
  
• Transfer the beets to your food processor and blend on high until mostly smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides several times.
  
• 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
  
• 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.
  
• 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 ½ cup at a time until the dough feels only very slightly sticky and comes together into a ball.
  2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  
• 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!
  
• 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.
  

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.
  

Video

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. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 736kcal (37%), Carbohydrates: 115g (38%), Protein: 19g (38%), Fat: 23g (35%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 4mg (1%), Sodium: 641mg (28%), Potassium: 1537mg (44%), Fiber: 9g (38%), Sugar: 10g (11%), Vitamin A: 516IU (10%), Vitamin C: 23mg (28%), Calcium: 165mg (17%), Iron: 7mg (39%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

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