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Creamy Courgette and Green Bean Gnocchi

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Creamy Courgette & Green Bean Gnocchi: A Healthy Vegan Italian Delight

Transport yourself to the rolling hills of Italy with this indulgently creamy yet wholesome Courgette & Green Bean Gnocchi. This vegan dish is a perfect marriage of fresh, vibrant vegetables and soft, pillowy gnocchi, making it a satisfying and nutritious meal to savor on a busy weeknight or a leisurely evening.

The dish starts with tender green beans, blanched to retain their crunch and vivid color, alongside courgettes (zucchini) sliced thin for a delicate, silky texture. These vegetables form the heart of this recipe, delivering a medley of flavors and nutrients. The courgette softens beautifully during cooking, almost melting into the sauce, while the green beans add a touch of snap to every bite.

The star of the show is the creamy sauce, made entirely plant-based yet luxuriously rich. A blend of cashews soaked and blended with garlic, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast creates a velvety, cheesy base without any dairy. A hint of fresh basil and a pinch of nutmeg elevate the flavor profile, giving the sauce a warm, aromatic depth that perfectly complements the earthiness of the vegetables.

Gnocchi, the iconic Italian dumplings, are lightly boiled until they float like clouds, then tossed with the sauce and vegetables to coat every morsel. A quick garnish of toasted pine nuts or crushed walnuts adds a delightful crunch, while an extra sprinkle of basil brings a burst of freshness.

This Creamy Courgette & Green Bean Gnocchi is not only delicious but also packed with vitamins, fibre, and healthy fats. It’s a dish that satisfies indulgent cravings while staying true to a healthy, plant-based ethos—a comforting bowl of Italian sunshine in every bite. Buon appetito!

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Creamy Courgette and Green Bean Gnocchi
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 persons
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • (+ extra to serve)
  • 3 courgettes
  • (about 350g / 11 oz) thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • thinly sliced
  • 1 pack green beans
  • (about 200g / 7 oz) trimmed
  • 1 pack gnocchi
  • (500g / 18oz)
  • 200g frozen peas
  • 1 x 400g tin butter beans
  • drained
  • bunch of basil
  • (about 30g / 1 oz) leaves separated but left whole
  • 2 tablespoons coconut yoghurt
  • (optional)
  • 1 lemon
  • zested & juiced
  • pinch of dried red chilli flakes
  • (optional)
  • pinch of flaky sea salt & black pepper
Instructions
  1. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium–high heat; add the courgettes, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for 15–20 minutes, until jammy and golden.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the green beans and the gnocchi; cook for 3–4 minutes until tender, adding the peas for the final minute. Drain and set aside.
  3. Once the courgettes are cooked, set the heat to low; then tip the green beans and gnocchi into the frying pan. Add the butter beans, basil, coconut yoghurt (if using), lemon juice, chilli flakes (if using), a generous pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper; stir until combined.
  4. Divide the gnocchi between bowls, scatter over the lemon zest and drizzle generously with olive oil.

 

Winter Root Vegetables with Preserved Lemon Yoghurt

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This comforting winter dish celebrates the humble root vegetables of the season, bringing together their earthy sweetness with a tangy, creamy preserved lemon yoghurt for a perfect balance of flavors.

A medley of roasted root vegetables—carrots, parsnips, turnips, and golden beets—are the stars of this dish. Tossed in olive oil, smoked paprika, and thyme, they’re roasted until caramelized and tender. Their natural sweetness is intensified, complemented by a subtle smokiness and herbaceous aroma.

To add layers of texture, crispy chickpeas seasoned with cumin and coriander are scattered across the dish. These add a delightful crunch, alongside toasted seeds—like pumpkin and sesame—that lend nutty undertones.

The preserved lemon yoghurt ties it all together. Made with a plant-based yoghurt, the preserved lemons add a unique punch of salty, citrusy brightness that cuts through the richness of the roasted vegetables. To prepare, finely chop the preserved lemon and stir it into creamy vegan yoghurt with a touch of garlic, fresh dill, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serve this dish warm, garnished with a sprinkling of fresh parsley or mint for color and freshness. Pair it with crusty sourdough bread or a grain like quinoa to turn it into a hearty meal.

Perfect for chilly evenings, this dish is not just filling but also nourishing. The combination of warm, roasted flavors with the vibrant zing of the preserved lemon yoghurt creates a delightful contrast, making it a memorable addition to any winter menu.

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Winter Root Vegetables with Preserved Lemon Yoghurt
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan
Cuisine: British
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 persons
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pumpkin or squash
(about 800g / 1 ¾ lb) cut into 2cm wedges
  • 3 beetroot
(about 400g) peeled & quartered
  • ½ celeriac
(about 400g / 14 oz) peeled & cut into 2cm chunks
  • 2 fennel bulbs
cut lengthways into eighths & fronds reserved
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
leaves picked
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • large handful of soft herbs
(about 50g / 1.8 oz) roughly chopped (coriander & parsley work well)
  • pinch of flaky sea salt & black pepper
  • FOR THE PRESERVED LEMON YOGHURT
  • 1 tub coconut yoghurt
(about 250g / 9 oz)
  • 1 bulb garlic
  • 1 preserved lemon
seeds removed & finely chopped

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 390°F. Place the squash, beetroot, celeriac, fennel and rosemary on a large baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously.
  2. Slice off the top of the garlic bulb, wrap tightly in foil and pop it in the corner of the tray.
  3. Pace the tray in the oven and cook for 45–50 minutes until tender and deeply golden.
  4. Remove the garlic and mix together with the yoghurt, preserved lemon, a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and spread out in a large circle
  5. To serve, pile the roasted veg on top of the yoghurt, along with any oil from the tray (this will be full of flavour). Scatter over the herbs and add a pinch of sea salt flakes.

 

Roasted Butternut & Carrot Salad with Baby Leaves

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This to me is pure heaven on a plate. Roasted butternut squash, carrot, with baby leaf salad and sous sous. This has become a go to meal for me these days. Butternut squashes are very in season now as are carrots. Very simple to make. Just cut up the butternut squash into bite sized pieces and along withe the carrots, drizzle olive oil over them and sprinkle sea salt over them and roast in a hot oven until you see the tips of the veggies begin to char. Couscous is even easier to make. One cup of couscous in a bowl and add one cup of boiling water and leave to stand for around five minutes. Then fluff with a fork. iv’e added cherry tomatoes, red onion and baby leaf salad to complete this recipe. Quite often I also drizzle some French dressing over the salad for even more of a flavour hit but it’s delicious on it’s own.

EVERYBODY LOVES PIZZA, DON’T THEY?

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It says it all in the title really. But there are those out there who simply do not like pizza. I suspect it’s because they have never made their own pizza but have always bought those horrible massed produced frozen ones from the supermarket. Even when you are just buying the base to put your own topping on your not getting that real pizza taste. Here at Knobbly Plate we absolutely love our pizza’s. They are a brilliant way to use up leftover vegetables and so so simple to make as you will see. They can also be as affordable as you like from costing just a few pence to those of you who like to add those special ingredients such as fresh anchovies and capers where the cost goes up to maybe a whole £1 for a 12 inch pizza.

Some historical  facts for you now….. Here at Knobbly Plate we think facts 6 & 7 fit in with our philosophy perfectly.

  1. The word “Pizza” was first documented in the Italian city of Gaeta in 997 AD.
  2. The ancestors of modern-day pizzas were simple flat breads, known asfoccasia in Italy that were sprinkled with different toppings.
  3. Foods similar to pizza can be traced back to the New Stone Age Period.
  4. Early pizzas were often sweet dishes, not savoury!
  5. Many historical records show that people have been adding different ingredients to bread to make it more appetizing.
  6. Most would never guess it, but pizza originally started off as a dish for poor people, sold in the streets and not a food for upper class people.
  7. It was in the 18th century that the poor around the area of Naples got accustomed to adding tomatoes to their yeast-based flat bread, and that’s how the modern pizza began!
  8. Today’s pizzas are characterized by a soft flatbread base, tomatoes and cheese.
  9. Pizza was introduced to the United States with the arrival of Italian immigrants in the 19th century.
  10. The first pizzeria in the United States was opened by Vincent Bruno in Chicago, in the year 1903.


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EVERYBODY LOVES PIZZA, DON’T THEY?
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 Persons
 
Ingredients
  • For the Base
  • 10g Instant Yeast
  • 10g Salt
  • 300g Strong White Flour
  • 200ml Warm Water
  • For the Topping
  • 400g Tinned Tomatoes
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Ball Mozzarella
  • Few courgette ribbons( I used 6 on a 12 inch pizza)
  • ½ Red Pepper
  • ½ Red Onion
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Handful Torn Basil Leaves
Instructions
  1. In a bowl mix together the flour salt and yeast.
  2. Add the water and mix into a dough. Knead the dough until silky smooth and it forms a ball.
  3. Cover and leave to prove in a warm place until doubles in size.
  4. Roll out to 12 inches on a floured surface and place on your pizza try.
  5. Whilst the dough is proving make your tomato sauce by heating the tomatoes and crushed garlic until the tomatoes have thickened.
  6. Spread on to the pizza base.
  7. Scatter your toppings on top and bake in a very hot oven Gas Mark 9 for around 10mins until the pizza has puffed up and is bubbling.

 

Quinoa Salad with Beans, Peaches & Tofu

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I came across this recipe when I was looking through Food Gawker. It’s an amazing resource for deciding what to cook each day by just searching with the ingredient you have. That is if I haven’t got an idea of my own to use which can be surprisingly often. The recipe I found was  Super Grains Salad with Peaches, Tofu and a Fresh Mint Vinaigrette from Petit World Citizen and with a few tweaks I managed to turn it into a Knobbly Plate idea.

Now being a man as you know when it comes to salads I like mine to be quite substantial so adding bits on top for me has always been a good idea. In this case as I had some green beans I decided to blanche and add them to the salad. I also added some of my own cherry tomatoes from the garden but I will price those up as if I bought them for the final reckoning. To make it as affordable as possible I also switched the mint vinaigrette for a splash of French dressing that came out of a bottle that was lurking in my fridge. I know fresh tastes better but like you I absolutely have to watch the pennies and every penny saved is a blessing.

For the grains I used a mix that I bought from Tesco’s of red and white quinoa with bulgur wheat thrown in and it seemed to work very well. So what did the dish cost me to make? Well all in all and buying tinned peaches instead of fresh ones I managed to make this dish for a total of £4.59 which is a bit expensive by Knobbly plate standards but it will feed 4 people so that’s £1.14 per person. I think this dish illustrates very well the fact that if you eat seasonal produce then you can keep the price down. Salad vegetables are on the way out now and so they are starting to rise in price. As autumn approaches we are coming into the roots season so I shall need to be thinking more about what I can make with them. It was nice however to have just one more salad. Thank you summer for a wonderful season.

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QUINOA SALAD WITH PEACHES, BEANS & TOFU
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Main course
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 100g Quinoa Cooked According to Instructions
  • 200g Marinated Tofu Sliced
  • Handful of Green Beans Blanched
  • 1 Red Onion Finely Sliced
  • Handful of Seasonal Salad Leaves
  • 480g Tin Sliced Peaches
  • 12 Cherry Tomatoes
  • ½ Cucumber Sliced
  • 4 tbs French Dressing
Instructions
  1. Mix all the ingredients together and drizzle over the salad dressing.
  2. Season with salt and pepper.