Can’t Get Your Hands on Cauliflower Gnocchi? Try Its Tasty Cousin: Plantain Gnocchi

Photo: Nutrition x Kitchen
Gnocchi is definitely the It food of the moment. I mean, there are entire Instagram accounts dedicated to Trader Joe's beloved cauliflower-based option alone. But if you can't get your hands on it (it still seems like it's selling out every other day!) there's a solution: Make some at home with its high-fiber, potassium-rich cousin.

Plantains might not seem like they'd make for great gnocchi, but they just so happen to be one of the best replacements for potatoes in the traditional recipe—maybe even better than cauliflower. (Gasp.) Just ask Micah Siva, the London-based registered dietitian and certified chef behind Nutrition x Kitchen.

"You can easily find green or darkly-spotted yellow plantains, and both are delicious," she says. "While green plantains are starchy, yellow plantains are sweeter and softer—much more similar to a banana. Green starchy plantains, on the other hand, taste similar to a potato with a hint of fruity banana, making it a great substitute for potatoes in some of your favorite dishes." That's why she knew plantains, with their subtle sweetness and low starch factor, would be the perfect addition to a gnocchi recipe.

Better yet, Siva says you can also reap plenty of health benefits from using plantains in gnocchi. "Green plantains are a source of vitamins A, C, and B6, and the minerals magnesium and potassium," she says. "They're also high in resistant starches—a type of fiber that's beneficial to gut health. Fiber and complex carbs are digested slower than simple carbohydrates, making you feel fuller for longer."

After you whip up a batch of plantain gnocchi, Siva has a simple way to enjoy it: "I sauté it with a touch of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and sage and serve it as a side dish to our evening meal," she says. As great as cauliflower gnocchi is, this fruity version might just became your new favorite.

This store-bought cauliflower gnocchi could be even better than Trader Joe's. But no matter which kind you use, these healthy sauces will give it an instant upgrade.

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