Is it sacrilegious to not eat gluten or dairy in Italy? For some, it might be. But for Julie Piatt and Rich Roll, authors of the new book, The Plantpower Way: Italia, eating plant-based meals is their prerogative, no matter where they are.
“The book was inspired by the transformational retreats we hold every year at a special villa in the Tuscan countryside,” says Roll. Their goal: to show people how to eat healthier, kinder, and more sustainable food while enjoying the best flavors of Italy.
This classic gnocchi recipe (that happens to be gluten and dairy-free) does just that. Wheat flour is swapped for organic corn flour, rice flour (or any other gluten-free flour) to make the gnocchi, and nutritional yeast is used instead of eggs to hold them together. It gets topped off with a delicious homemade tomato sauce and macadamia nut parmesan cheese (that’s surprisingly simple to make). “Just jump in and have fun with it,” suggests Roll. “You’ll see it’s not as difficult as it looks.”
Gluten-free and Dairy-free Gnocchi
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Prep Time1 hour
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Cook Time30 minutes
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Servings4 people
Ingredients
For the gnocchi
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2 medium yellow potatoes (about 2 cups)
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1/4 cup organic fine corn flour, rice flour, or other gluten-free flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling
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1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
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1 Tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
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1 tsp Celtic sea salt
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Simply Red Tomato Sauce (recipe below)
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Macadamia Parmesan (recipe below)
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1 bunch fresh basil, thinly sliced
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Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce
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7 garden tomatoes on the vine
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3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
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1/2 cup chopped onion
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2 Tbsp olive oil
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1 tsp Celtic sea salt
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1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For the macadamia parmesan
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2 cups raw macadamia nuts
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1 Tbsp chickpea miso paste or light yellow miso
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2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
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1 tsp Celtic sea salt
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1 capsule acidophilus (3-billion-active-culture strain)
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1 Tbsp refined coconut oil, plus more for greasing the mold
Instructions
Recipe Notes
Reprinted from The Plantpower Way: Italia by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2018, Julie Piatt and Rich Roll. If you're planning a trip to Italy, check out this under-the-radar island and these tips for traveling solo.