Cauliflower Gnocchi Bolognese
This cauliflower gnocchi bolognese is a grain-free version of an Italian classic! It’s paleo, gluten-free, and can be made AIP friendly.
What is Bolognese Sauce?
Bolognese sauce is a rich pasta sauce that originates in Bologna. It’s made with tomatoes, ground beef, broth, celery, carrots, onions, herbs, and sometimes wine.
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy and am of Italian descent, so this rich meat sauce is close to my heart! Don’t get me wrong, I love a smooth sauce without meat as well, but Bolognese dishes are a complete, nourishing meal!
Tips & Tricks for this Cauliflower Gnocchi Bolognese
Use a shortcut by buying premade cauliflower gnocchi
If you can tolerate all of the ingredients, I suggest Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi! It’s not AIP (it has potato starch) but if you can tolerate it, it’s a great shortcut.
Make it nightshade free with nomato sauce
My recipe for nomato sauce fits perfectly here.
Trust your palate and add more or less broth if you like a thicker or thinner sauce
I use a moderate amount of broth for this recipe, but you can add more if you like the sauce to be thinner, or less if you want the sauce super meaty.
How to Make Cauliflower Gnocchi Bolognese
- Prepare the sauce by browning the ground beef. Set aside and reserve the majority of the fat in the pan. Chop the vegetables and saute to soften. Pour in the tomato, broth, and seasonings and bring to a low simmer. Cover for 30 minutes to allow to reduce.
- Prepare the cauliflower gnocchi fresh as directed, or buy pre-made cauliflower gnocchi.
- Toss the cauliflower gnocchi in the bolognese and serve topped with fresh basil.
The Ingredients You’ll Need for the Cauliflower Gnocchi Bolognese
Ground Beef
Onion, garlic, carrots, and celery
These add a lot of flavor and body to the sauce, as well as some additional veggies.
Canned tomato (or nomato sauce)
You’ll use canned crushed tomato or sub nomato sauce to make it nightshade-free and AIP.
Beef broth & white wine
The white wine adds some flavor depth, but it’s optional. The alcohol will cook-off, but I choose to not cook with wine while pregnant, and you can easily sub more broth.
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Cauliflower Gnocchi Bolognese
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the bolognese
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped
- 2 1/2 cups canned crushed tomato (sub nomato sauce for AIP)
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (see notes for AIP)
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4–6 fresh basil leaves
For the cauliflower gnocchi
- 1 batch of homemade cauliflower gnocchi (or storebought if tolerated)
Instructions
- Using a large, deep saute pan, brown the ground beef and lightly season with salt and pepper. Once browned, set aside and reserve 2 tbsp of fat in the pan.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Add the carrots and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly fork tender.
- Stir in the crushed tomato (or nomato sauce), broth, white wine (if using) and reincorporate the ground beef. Stir well and season with parsley and dried oregano. Bring the sauce to a low simmer. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and flavorful. Season further to taste.
- Add the prepared gnocchi to the pan and stir to coat in the sauce. Serve fresh topped with basil.
Notes
Though alcohol is not AIP compliant, cooking wine allows the alcohol to cook off. If you still choose to forgo the wine, just substitute for broth.
All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Fat: 11.2g
- Carbohydrates: 41.3g
- Fiber: 6.7g
- Protein: 30.3g
Oh my! This was amazing!!! There are not enough exclamation points in the world to punctuate how delicious this was. I ended up having to make the nomato sauce and the gnocchi, so it took me well almost 2 hours, all the way with a hungry, whiny teenager asking when it would be ready. (I did modify it a little bit by using canned beets and adding 10 kalamata olives to the nomato sauce.)
My hungry teenager loved it, and went back for seconds and thirds, and not only because she was hungry. My husband loved the dish too. They did say that my gnocchi weren’t as good as a restaurant’s and to purchase the Trader Joe’s ones next time I try this, but that was probably my failure.
Speaking of the gnocchi, the cauliflower wasn’t very soft after 9 minutes of cooking, so when I do make this again, I will cook for longer so that it softens more and is easier to mix with the flour. I also added double the oil by mistake, but I think that might have helped the gnocchi to stay together.
I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour because that’s what I had on hand. Will try one day with cassava flour, but with the GF flour it worked well enough.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s become an instant favorite at my house. Will have to make another batch to freeze, because I have lots of nomato sauce left over, but it won’t be a hardship. 🙂
This was so good. I made the nomato sauce (the best one I’ve tried) and the gnocchi. I had to add some water to the gnocchi to form a dough that was I could roll. Worth the effort. I tolerate TJ’s gnocchi but they were out. I’ll use them next time to simplify.
Thank you so much, Heather!!