This vegan baked gnocchi with arrabbiata is pure comfort food. Made with arrabiata sauce and homemade vegan mozzarella sauce. It’s best eaten hot, and it takes seconds!
I love having gnocchi on hand, because it means a satisfying, quick, and easy meal is just a hop and a skip away. This baked gnocchi is great with store bought or homemade vegan gnocchi.
Of course if you use homemade gnocchi it means that you put more effort into the dish, but homemade is very tasty! And if you can’t find vegan packaged gnocchi, then you’re stuck making your own. I promise, homemade gnocchi is much easier than you think!
When you have gnocchi in the fridge, you are far from cooking gnocchi! One of the most delicious foods in the world.
My version has pillowy gnocchi tossed in a spicy marinara (called an arrabbiata) and topped with a creamy, scrumptious vegan mozzarella sauce. Baked until the cheese sauce is thick and browned to perfection!
The whole meal can be prepared within 45 minutes, even by making tomato sauce and mozzarella sauce! If you do some store bought swaps then it can be done quickly.
Easy homemade recipe:
Arrabbiata is a spicy marinara and my go-to when I make my tomato sauces. This version cooks quickly, with red chili flakes and garlic providing a depth of flavor.
A little olive oil, sauteed onion, and dried basil round out the dish.
Use canned tomatoes for the best sauce. Canned tomatoes are of the highest quality, and they are very juicy and delicious. Using canned tomatoes makes homemade arrabbiata available year-round.
Because the tomatoes are whole, you have to crush them a little. You can do this by hand—pour the tomatoes into a deep mixing bowl and mash by hand, so the bowl catches any spit juices. You can also do it with clean kitchen scissors. Just insert the scissors into the can and cut out all the tomatoes.
If you have crushed or chopped tomatoes but don’t have enough on hand, using one of those still makes a great sauce.
The sauce is simmered for 15 minutes to bring the flavors together, then blended using a hand immersion blender or an upright blender. If you have a handheld blender I recommend using that. We don’t want the sauce to be smooth and easy to clean!
The homemade vegan mozzarella sauce:
This easy vegan mozzarella sauce is made with cashews and refined coconut oil for a base. Cashews are mixed smooth and dark and have a lot of flavor, while coconut oil adds the fat needed to fry.
Soak cashews by soaking in cold water for two hours (or up to a day in the refrigerator) or boiling in water for 15 minutes. This step can be skipped if you are using a high powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec.
I use refined coconut oil because it smells and tastes bad, but the texture gives it “mozz” more like dairy cheese.
The juice is seasoned with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for acidity. I sometimes swap this for coconut vinegar, which is great in cheesy recipes.
A clove of garlic gives the soup flavor, and a spoonful of nutritional yeast makes it sweet.
Tapioca starch is essential for thickening the cheese. Although other starches can be substituted for more, tapioca starch has the highest quality of vegan cheeses.
All of the vegan mozzarella sauce ingredients are added to a blender and blended until smooth. The juice is ready to use.
Instead of cooking the mozzarella sauce before adding the gnocchi, the sauce is cooked in the oven while it’s cooking! This is the most awesome time saver and hack. It is very thick, coating the top of the baked gnocchi with a cheesy crust.
Save buy swaps to create faster:
For the fastest baked gnocchi, use store bought packaged gnocchi. Dehydrated, fresh, or frozen works well in this recipe!
You can choose jarred marinara or jarred arrabbiata pasta sauce instead of making it yourself.
For vegan mozzarella, you can use store-bought vegan mozzarella-style cheese. Buy shredded, or thinly sliced vegan cheese.
How to cook vegan baked gnocchi:
You can prepare this dish in individual ramekins, or a large casserole dish.
Toss the cooked gnocchi and sauce together, then divide it between ramekins for individual portions, or transfer to a baking dish for the family to eat. If you use ramekins, place them on a baking tray to catch any spills.
Pour a generous amount of vegan mozzarella sauce to cover the top.
Bake the gnocchi for 10 minutes if using ramekins, or 15-20 minutes if using a large casserole. Either way, cook until hot and the cheese is nicely browned on top.
For extra browning, you can cook for a minute or two at the end of baking.
To prepare the dish in advance:
You can make the arrabiata and/or vegan mozzarella sauce ahead. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days before cooking.
The sauce thickens to a scoopable consistency after resting in the refrigerator. When ready to use, remove and plop dollops on top of your gnocchi. It will melt and spread in the oven.
You can even assemble the dish before cooking. Cook the gnocchi, toss them in the sauce, transfer to your baking dish(es) and top with the mozzarella sauce. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook!
If you make this vegan baked gnocchi and arrabbiata, leave a comment below and rate the recipe on the recipe card. And please share your photos with me on Instagram, tag @thecuriouschickpea and #thecuriouschickpea. I want to see your relaxation!
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Ingredients
Mozzarella sauce
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1 cup raw cashews, soaked*
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1 cup of water
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1/2 cup refined coconut oil, melted
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1 tsp apple cider vinegar
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1 clove of garlic
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2 tbsp tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
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1 tbsp nutritional yeast
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1 tsp salt
Angry Sauce
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1 small onion, small dice
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1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper, to taste
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2 cloves of garlic, minced
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1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
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32 oz canned tomatoes
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1 tsp dried basil
Everything else
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2 lbs gnocchi, cooked to order (or use home cooked gnocchi)
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6-8 ramekins, or 2 quart casserole dish
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minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
Preparing the mozzarella sauce
- Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
Making the arrabbiata sauce
- Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, slightly caramelized, and golden.
- Add crushed red pepper, minced garlic, and salt and cook for one minute.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices and the dried basil. Bring to a boil and let cook for 15 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender or an upright blender (pause to extract as needed), until a smooth sauce is formed.
Prepare the casserole
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Toss the cooked gnocchi in the arrabbiata sauce and transfer to a casserole dish or ramekins.
- Pour the mozzarella sauce over the gnocchi to cover it thoroughly.
- Place ramekins or casserole dish on a baking tray to catch spillover.
- Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes if using ramekins, or 15-20 minutes if using a large casserole dish. Broil at the end for a few minutes for extra browning.
- Garnish with minced parsley to serve (optional).
Notes
*Soak cashews in cold water for 2 hours or boil in water for 15 minutes, then rinse. This step can be skipped if you have a high powered blender.
Mozzarella sauce adapted from Same Day Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1
Fees per Service:
Calories: 662Total Fat: 33gSodium: 829mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 7gSugar: 7gProteins: 15g
Nutritional values are calculated automatically and should only be used as an estimate.
