Gnocchi, Tarragon and Butterbean Cassoulet — a plant-based Italian recipe by BOSH!
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Gnocchi, Tarragon and Butterbean Cassoulet

This one has become a proper staple in our kitchens and we think it's going to do the same for you. There's something about crispy, golden gnocchi tumbling through a rich, herby cassoulet that just feels like a hug in a bowl. The butterbeans go all creamy and the tarragon gives it this really elegant, almost aniseed warmth that makes it taste way more impressive than the effort involved. It's the kind of dinner that looks like you've been cooking for hours but comes together in around 40 minutes. Honestly, make this tonight.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray lined with parchment paper
  • Large casserole dish

Ingredients

  • 175g gnocchi
  • 2 tbsp dried rosemary
  • olive oil for cooking
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 200g cherry tomatoes
  • 2 vegetable stock cube - to make 1.5L stock
  • 1 bunch of tarragon
  • 100g spinach
  • 1 tin of butter beans
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1

For the gnocchi

  • Pick and roughly chop the rosemary leaves
  • Tip the gnocchi on baking tray lined with paper, cover generously in 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, chopped rosemary and half a lemon roughly chopped
  • Toss everything around and place in a hot oven for 10 minutes, until crispy and golden
2

For the cassoulet

  • Roughly chop the onion, and fry in a large casserole dish with a glug of olive oil until starting to soften (around 5 minutes)
  • Crush or finely mince the garlic, and add to the softened onions with the bay leaves and fry for 1 minute
  • Add the tomato purée and flour, and cook for 2 minutes while stirring well to coat
  • Pop in the cherry tomatoes and stir for 2 - 3 minutes
  • Dilute the stock cubes in 1.5L of boiling water and pour into the dish
  • Simmer for 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half
  • Pick and roughly chop the tarragon leaves
  • Add the roasted gnocchi to the pan and top with butter beans, spinach and chopped tarragon
  • Stir it all together and gently simmer for 5 minutes
3

Time to serve

  • Ladle into bowls and serve straight away

Tips & Variations

  • Get the gnocchi properly crispy: Don't overcrowd the baking tray or they'll steam instead of roast. Give them plenty of space and a generous coat of olive oil so you get those golden, slightly crunchy edges.
  • Swap the beans: We love butterbeans here for their creaminess but cannellini beans work brilliantly too. Either way, don't drain all the liquid from the tin, a splash of that starchy water helps thicken the sauce.
  • Fresh tarragon is worth it: If you can get fresh tarragon rather than dried, use it. The flavour is so much more fragrant and it's what gives this cassoulet its really distinctive character. Add it towards the end so it stays bright and punchy.

Why This Works

The trick here is roasting the gnocchi separately in the oven rather than just chucking it straight into the sauce. That step gives you these little crispy, pillowy bites with proper golden edges that hold up in the cassoulet instead of going soft and stodgy. The lemon roasted with the gnocchi also adds this subtle brightness that cuts right through the richness of the beans and sauce, and trust us, that detail makes a real difference.