Vegan Gnocchi Bake with Bolognese Sauce

Vegan gnocchi bake with a lentil bolognese sauce and creamy bechamel sauce! This baked gnocchi is easy to make and the perfect vegan comfort food.

Cuisine American, Italian-inspired

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 401

Author Anthea

Add the carrot, onion, garlic and oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. You can also use a cast-iron pan if it's oven-safe. Saute the ingredients for 5 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the herbs and nuts and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant. If any ingredients are sticking to the bottom of the saucepan, add a generous dash of vegetable stock/water and stir.
Add the lentils, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar, miso paste and 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Cook for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
Add the gnocchi and the remaining vegetable broth. Increase the heat to high and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the gnocchi is tender. Add more vegetable broth if needed. The sauce will thicken up over time.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Add the oil/butter, flour and a dash of milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and whisk continuously for 2-5 minutes until a thick paste forms.
Add all of the remaining milk and nutritional yeast. Vigorously whisk the mixture to disperse the paste. After around 5 minutes, the mixture should thicken into a sauce consistency.
Season the bechamel sauce to taste. If any lumps are remaining, whisk vigorously or blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

If you didn't use an oven-safe pan, transfer the bolognese gnocchi into a large casserole dish (the capacity of mine was 3.5 L or 120 oz). Pour the bechamel sauce on top.
Bake the gnocchi for 10-15 minutes or until the surface is slightly golden brown.
Serve the baked gnocchi hot or warm with vegan parmesan, with salad and/or vegetables! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days and enjoy warm. Alternatively, divide the gnocchi bake into individual containers and freeze for up to 1 month.

You may add additional herbs/spices such as dried basil, ground sage or red pepper flakes.
Alternatively, you can use canned chickpeas or red kidney beans. For a finer textured bolognese, you may want to mash some of the chickpeas or beans.
I used shelf-stable gnocchi. Fresh or homemade vegan gnocchi will also work, but you will not need as much vegetable broth.
Alternatively, you can just top your gnocchi casserole with 1/2 cup vegan mozzarella. After you've assembled the casserole, bake it in the oven to melt the cheese.
For extra flavor, you may also add a 1/4 cup vegan cheese, 1 tablespoon of white miso paste and/or a pinch of nutmeg to your bechamel sauce. I'd recommend adding them at the same time as the nutritional yeast.