Crispy Chickpea Gnocchi Recipe - Home Chef (2024)

Thoroughly rinse produce and pat dry. Finely mince shallot. Stack basil leaves and roll into a cylinder, slice across the length of the roll creating very thin strips (chiffonade). Divide basil in half. Prepare flax egg (a vegan egg substitute) by combining ground flaxseed with 2.5 Tbsp. warm water in a small bowl and stirring. Let sit until mixture becomes slightly gelatinous. Drain juice from red peppers.

In a blender or food processor, combine half the garlic powder, drained roasted red peppers, coconut milk, and 1 tsp. salt. Blend until smooth. Add a pinch of additional salt and freshly cracked pepper. Set sauce aside until ready to warm and plate. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Place a colander in the sink.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, remaining garlic powder, half the chiffonade of basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix the dry ingredients. Once mixed, add hummus and flax egg. With a spatula, stir together until a dough forms. Once the dough is firm, roll into a large ball. Transfer ball to a clean, dry, and lightly floured (using remaining flour) surface. Using a knife, divide the ball into 4 smaller balls. Using hands, roll the balls into 1" thick ropes. Once ropes are formed, use knife to cut 1½" sized dumplings. Makes ~40 gnocchi.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. When hot, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and shallot to the skillet. Once water in the large pot (from step 2) is boiling, add the gnocchi, working in batches. Let cook 2-3 minutes, until tender and firm. Drain gnocchi in a colander and immediately transfer to the pan with the shallots to fry on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Shallots will cook fast, so remove them from pan with the first finished batch of gnocchi. When finished, place gnocchi and shallots on a paper towel-lined plate. If working in batches, add more olive oil as you fry gnocchi.

In a small, dry pan over medium heat, place the walnuts and toast for 2-3 minutes, moving pan to prevent burning. Walnuts are done when aromatic and browned. Remove from pan to prevent burning and reserve for plating. Once all gnocchi have been fried and transferred to a plate, add the red pepper sauce to the pan you used to cook the gnocchi and warm over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

In a shallow bowl, ladle a generous serving of the red pepper sauce. Arrange about 20 gnocchi in the sauce. Top gnocchi with more sauce, if desired. Garnish with toasted walnuts and remaining basil. Finish the dish nicely with freshly cracked pepper.