What about Gnocchi?

[mgwhee]

I found some gnocchi and sweet potato gnocchi recipes that can be very easily modified to make them Whole30 compliant. You can use almond flour or arrowroot powder instead of standard flour, and the only other ingredients are potatoes (or sweet potatoes), salt, pepper, and egg. 

 

Is this allowed or does this follow the same rules as no chips etc.? The main ingredients are allowed, but I'm not sure if it qualifies as trying to re-create non compliant foods. Is this making complaint pasta in the same way that while you could, you're not allowed to make compliant pancakes or chips? 

 

Thoughts? 

[ladyshanny]

Making pasta would be a no-go, sorry; no creating non compliant foods with almond or other flour substitutes.  Instead of "making pasta", why don't you try julienning the sweet potato into strips like noodles?  Or just roast the sweet potato until it's super crispy on the outside and creamy and soft on the inside (trick, lots of fat, high temp) and then put your sauce on that?

[Carlaccini]

Personally for me this would be a no go and fall into the SWYPO territory.  I used to be a pasta loving person.  And Gnocchi Loving person, and a Perogie loving person (okay not pasta but still lumps of doughy things) 

 

So trying to fit my new way of eating into my old way of eating is not helping my relationship with food.  So for me this would be out as you are trying recreate a non compliant food like pasta.

 

However if you want to save this for after your whole 30 as an experiment - we encourage you to do this.

[Munkers]

I think that, in general, if a recipe calls for almond flour for any purpose other than as a binding or thickening agent (like for salmon cakes or stews) or as a "breading" on a piece of meat, then the odds are good that the recipe is non-compliant under the no baking and SWYPO rules.

[Agos]

I was about to ask the same question! Since the main ingredient is potato/sweet potato/yucca and they don't even need flour, you can use eggs as binders. But I understand they could be considered SWYPO, and they wouldn't even make a balanced meal.

[mgwhee]

haha that's what I thought, but it couldn't hurt to ask! 

 

I am surprised that I was even thinking about it because honestly, I was never very adventurous in the kitchen before and never would have dreamed of making my own anything that I could just buy pre-made at the store. I will definitely save it for after my whole30 is complete. I intend to live within the guidelines 90% of the time, and give myself treats here and there. Maybe 1 non-compliant meal a week. Actually, that would make me 95% compliant! (90 meals a month, 4 non-compliant meals, that's 95.5% compliant!) I could definitely stick to that, and it would keep me from just filling my plate with foods that I don't care either way about. I mean, I couldn't care less about rice. If I'm going to eat something non-compliant, it'll be a bowl of homemade gnocchi with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese! Or a thick creamy Alfredo sauce or a decadent pine-nut pesto! Thanks ladies!

[BigBen]

I must dissent from you guys.  Gnocchi is always made with potato starch. So this is not a different form of pasta.  This is the same form.  If you make it yourself it’s just potato and eggs.  How is this different in principal than making your own ketchup or clarifying butter?

[ladyshanny]

49 minutes ago, BigBen said:

I must dissent from you guys.  Gnocchi is always made with potato starch. So this is not a different form of pasta.  This is the same form.  If you make it yourself it’s just potato and eggs.  How is this different in principal than making your own ketchup or clarifying butter?

I just googled "gnocchi recipe" and looked at 10 links to recipes and every single one of them has conventional wheat flour in them and not a small amount; multiple cups.

Gnocchi is out for Whole30.

[laura_juggles]

3 hours ago, ladyshanny said:

I just googled "gnocchi recipe" and looked at 10 links to recipes and every single one of them has conventional wheat flour in them and not a small amount; multiple cups.

Gnocchi is out for Whole30.

Yeah...I learned how to make gnocchi in Italy and it was potato, egg, and a sufficient amount of flour to make it the right consistency, plus more flour put out on the board for kneading. It is not simply potatoes and eggs. 

[BigBen]

20 hours ago, laura_juggles said:

Yeah...I learned how to make gnocchi in Italy and it was potato, egg, and a sufficient amount of flour to make it the right consistency, plus more flour put out on the board for kneading. It is not simply potatoes and eggs. 

Okay.  Conventional gnocchi has wheat flower.  Conventional ketchup has sugar and I see a bunch of people online making Whole 30 ketchup.  Conventional rice is prohibited, but I see people who are doing this protocol eating cauliflower “rice” all over the place.  To be honest I am just getting ready to start the whole 30 and there is a vibe from people who are doing it that is turning me off and not just in this discussion group.  It’s like people are fishing for extra validation through whatever austere measures they are taking to follow this diet.  The principal ingredients of potato and eggs could be easily mixed with potato or almond flower and this would be gnocchi.  I’m going to do that during my time even if it’s not approved..  If anyone wants to join me in my rebellion, there’s a recipe here. https://www.chefsouschef.com/whole30-gnocchi/

[ladyshanny]

8 hours ago, BigBen said:

Okay.  Conventional gnocchi has wheat flower.  Conventional ketchup has sugar and I see a bunch of people online making Whole 30 ketchup.  Conventional rice is prohibited, but I see people who are doing this protocol eating cauliflower “rice” all over the place.  To be honest I am just getting ready to start the whole 30 and there is a vibe from people who are doing it that is turning me off and not just in this discussion group.  It’s like people are fishing for extra validation through whatever austere measures they are taking to follow this diet.  The principal ingredients of potato and eggs could be easily mixed with potato or almond flower and this would be gnocchi.  I’m going to do that during my time even if it’s not approved..  If anyone wants to join me in my rebellion, there’s a recipe here. https://www.chefsouschef.com/whole30-gnocchi/

You're still using approved ingredients to recreate something that is normally made with wheat flour. 

Cauliflower "rice" is a way of chopping a vegetable. Nothing else is done to it. Zoodles is a way of slicing zucchini. Nothing else. In the case of gnocchi, you're taking a vegetable after it's cooked and mixing it with starches in order to make it do something it would not normally do. You want to rice your potato, fine. Want to cook tomatoes into a sauce? Go for it. But the SWYPO rule states that creating non compliant foods like a pasta would not be permitted. 

You're an adult, you can 100% do what you like and the "SWYPO" rule is at its very core, a bit of a grey area. If you come and talk about something here which is already over the years ruled out, the mods and advanced members will make corrections because it is for the greater understanding of the rules and the spirit of the program for anyone who comes along after. If you come onto the forum and make references to anyone in a racially charged way, your comments will be edited as I have done above. This is a family friendly, fully inclusive community.

[ladyshanny]

If you were looking for an official ruling from the Whole30 powers that be, on July 22, 2014 they posted this on FB:

 

We hear you all talking about gnocchi. Even though potatoes are now on the menu, this is still pasta and still falls into the #SWYPO category. Use that incredible sauce on some zoodles or a gorgeous piece of meat instead.