15 Minute Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi.
Okay this lemon parmesan cauliflower gnocchi may be life changing!
I don’t mean to be dramatic but I’m totally dramatic so I have no other way to say it.
This.is.incredible.
I love cauliflower gnocchi. In fact, I love it so much that I make it from scratch occasionally. You can find the entire recipe and video HERE. It’s super good!
While I’ve never looked at cauliflower gnocchi as replacing regular gnocchi, I still adore it. It can really hold its own – it’s so super good. I love the texture. I even love the flavor, which can take on almost anything.
And the best part is that you can toast it in a skillet – from a frozen state! – and have golden, crispy-edged cauliflower gnocchi in no time.
Then!
Then you can toss it with some cream, lemon and parmesan and go to town. I mean the combination is wonderful. Bright, citrusy, rich but light at the same time. A little cheesy – that savory nuttiness from the parmesan shining through.
It is such a simple, easy meal. Again, embarrassingly easy. It comes together in less than 15 minutes. It’s wild.
For me, it’s a fun, super fast and easy weeknight dinner. However, it can also be a side dish. Depends on how much cauliflower gnocchi you have! I find that we need two bags for our whole family if we’re using a frozen version.
Or a batch and a half or so of my homemade version.
And YES let’s talk about the lemon elephant in the room. I know I just shared a recipe with lemon earlier this week. I may even share one with lemon next week too! But it’s just such a great flavor, especially in savory dishes. And I find that it brightens up meals so much this time of year. While citrus is still in season, this is the loveliest dinner to make.
Fresh, bright, but comforting. It’s fantastic.
Now the nitty gritty: there are really only six ingredients here if you don’t count the salt and pepper. There is a bit of heavy cream, and after the cauliflower gnocchi sits, it does soak some of it up in the best way possible. So this isn’t a heavy, creamy dish. There’s such a small amount of cream that it’s really used to mix up the parmesan and lemon zest and allow it to coat the gnocchi all over.
Which is PERFECT.
If you like toasted gnocchi (I’ve always LOVED it, I first made some back 2013!), you’ll love it. The very light sauce is just perfect to hold the crisped texture of the gnocchi. It tastes like heaven! Serve it as a side dish for the family, or have a bowl of it for dinner. All to yourself.
Now just try not to eat the entire pan…
Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi
15 Minute Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cauliflower gnocchi, frozen or fresh/thawed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup cream
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 2 lemons, zest freshly grated
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- fresh herbs, like basil or parsley, for topping
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add in the cauliflower gnocchi. It can be frozen or thawed! Cook the gnocchi for 2 to 3 minutes, without tossing, until it gets golden brown on one side. Flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. You want it golden brown on both sides and by that point, it should be cooked and warm through!
- Pour in the heavy cream, the lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the parmesan. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. The gnocchi will soak up a bit of the cream, but it still adds a wonderful richness and texture to the dish. Top with fresh herbs and serve, with more parmesan for topping.
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Toasty, golden perfection!
21 Comments on “15 Minute Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi.”
Jess, would this work the same using shelf stable potato gnocchi?
yes!!
It would be very helpful to have the nutritional facts on this recipe
you can def plus these ingredients into your favorite online calculator based on the exact products you use! :)
Could you use half and half instead of cream. Thanks so much!
yes!!
This looks delicious!
What brand cauliflower gnocchi do you use? I’ve not seen it in the stores, but have t had a reason to look for it til now!!
Trader Joe’s has a gluten free cauliflower gnocchi.
Absolutely love anything lemon! Keep the lemon recipes coming!
Are we using the juice of the lemons or just the zest?
just the zest!
Just made this– so easy! I admit I was skeptical about putting frozen gnocci straight in, but it worked. We all loved it– especially my 3-year old. (We used the Sorvino brand, bought from Whole Foods in New Jersey. It was great! Wouldn’t have known it was an “alternative” to the real thing.)
Loving all the gnocchi recipes Jessica! My only new years resolution was to have gnocchi on the 29th of every month. My dad is from Uruguay, its a sweet tradition and they put a quarter under the plate to bring prosperity (no joke I started in January and got a new job in February so I’m definitely sticking with the resolution!). I’m sure I’ll be trying them all :)
Easy, fast and delicious! I did not thaw the gnocchi first – no need. I could not stop eating these crispy morsels of deliciousness. Don’t skimp on the lemon zest – it’s key. I used the juice of half a lemon as well. So goood!
This is the best recipe ever!! I paired it with your lemon meatballs and it was perfect. The flavors are just amazing!
This was my first cauliflower gnocchi experience and it was SO good! And easy! Great weeknight meal. I used frozen green giant gnocchi and it worked perfectly. I also used almond milk instead of cream and I enjoyed it!
Wow this was amazing!
Reduced butter to 1tblspn and drizzle of cream added sauteed spinach.
Yummy! I have made this twice, once as written and then once eliminating the cream and using the lemon juice instead. Noth delicious and a quick luxurious meal.
Mind blown! This was the EASIEST recipe and SOOO good!
Incredible & fast!
This is so quick, easy & delicious!
I didn’t have any fresh herbs, but I will definitely make this again when I have basil growing in my garden.
Thank you for the great recipe!