This slow cooker gnocchi with cannellini beans is a hearty and satisfying dish which will warm you up this winter, and will fit into your healthy eating plan too.
This month I am craving vegetarian and lighter dishes, after the excesses of December.
I have quite a good selection now of vegetarian slow cooker dishes that I turn to (check them out in my vegetarian section) when I want vegetable goodness.
The potato gnocchi are cooked gently and slowly in the slow cooker for a few hours in a rich sauce made with passata, herbs, courgette and mushroom, filling your home with delicious aromas.
I serve mine with loads of green vegetables on the side, and sometimes crusty bread. Perfect comfort food for a chilly evening, just what I like.
You can also add some protein in the form of some roast chicken breasts or thighs.
It would also be lovely with mozzarella and parmesan on top (or use a vegan alternative).
What are gnocchi
Gnocchi are a type of Italian dumpling which includes potato in the dough as well as wheat.
The dough is rolled out and cut into pieces, often with a ridged pattern pressed into the individual dumplings.
In the UK you can buy ready-made bags of potato gnocchi in the pasta aisle. They make a great alternative to normal pasta and are often served in a sauce.
Making a batch of this slow cooker gnocchi with cannellini beans, I was able to have it for dinner and then for lunches for a few days, making it really good for meal planning for your midweek meals.
It is a great cheap option to make an economical meal.
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need to make this recipe, get the quantities in the recipe card further down:
- onions
- large mushroom
- courgette (zucchini)
- passata – sieved tomatoes.
- tomato puree
- cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
- gnocchi
- vegetable bouillon powder – I like Marigold. You can replace this with a normal vegetable stock cube.
- dried oregano
- fresh basil
Method
- Place the onion, mushroom, courgette, cannellini beans and gnocchi in the slow cooker pot.
- Add the passata, tomato puree, vegetable bouillon powder and stir well.
- Add pepper to taste (passata is usually already salted so I don’t add salt), then add the dried oregano.
- Cook for around 3 hours on high, or around 6 hours on low.
- Garnish with the fresh basil leaves, and serve.
The cannellini beans – also called white kidney beans – make it a really filling dish.
Looking online I see that Italians serve gnocchi with beans too, it is a great frugal meal with its origins in traditional Italian peasant food I am sure.
Pin this slow cooker gnocchi with cannellini beans for later:
Recipe
Slow Cooker Gnocchi with Cannellini Beans
Ingredients
- 2 small onions sliced
- 1 large field mushroom sliced
- 1 courgette chopped
- 500 g passata
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 400 g cannellini beans (or white kidney beans) drained
- 500 g gnocchi
- 1 tsp vegetable bouillon (stock) powder I use Marigold
- pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- fresh basil, to serve
Instructions
- Place the onion, mushroom, courgette, cannellini beans and gnocchi in the slow cooker pot.2 small onions, 1 large field mushroom, 1 courgette, 400 g cannellini beans, 500 g gnocchi
- Add the passata, tomato puree, vegetable bouillon powder and stir well.500 g passata, 3 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tsp vegetable bouillon (stock) powder
- Add pepper to taste (passata is already salted so I don’t add salt), then add the dried oregano.pepper, to taste, 1 tsp dried oregano
- Cook for around 3 hours on high, or around 6 hours on low.
- Garnish with the fresh basil leaves, and serve.fresh basil, to serve
Notes
Sending this over to Tinned Tomatoes for Meat Free Mondays
and to Searching for Spice for Cook Once Eat Twice
JC says
Great, easy recipe. If you’re working with 750g of gnocchi, does this change the amount of liquid required?
bakingqueen74 says
Glad you like it. I would add perhaps half a cup of water in that case, to save adding more passata.
Natalie Dawn says
This looks delicious I don’t have a slow cooker though do u think I could just simmer on the hob for 30 mins or in a dish in the oven?
bakingqueen74 says
Sorry for late reply Natalie. Yes you could make it in a casserole dish instead. Add more liquid to compensate though (we use less in slow cooker recipes as it doesn’t evaporate off) and cook for about thirty to forty mins I’d say, check it is all tender and serve.
hijackedbytwins says
Oooh I have never thought of cooking gnocchi in the slow cooker. This looks amazing! x #CookOnceEatTwice
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Kirsty, you know me, I’ll cook anything in the slow cooker or try to anyway! 😉
Corina says
This sounds beautiful! I’d never thought to cook gnocchi in the slow cooker before but will definitely think about trying it now. I am also trying to eat lighter meals with more vegetables in this month and something like this is perfect – Thank you so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice as well!
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Corina, this is definitely a month for cutting back 🙂