Easy Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe
There are all kinds of pasta shapes out there, and then there's gnocchi. Sure, gnocchi isn't technically pasta, but these pillowy dumplings of potato (or in some cases, ricotta) can be the foundation for so many delicious Italian meals. While gnocchi is predominantly made from traditional potatoes, you can also use sweet potatoes, which unsurprisingly results in a, well, sweeter final product that pairs well with all sorts of tasty flavors.
Looking to make some sweet potato gnocchi for yourself? Look no further than Catherine Brookes' recipe, which combines a handful of pantry ingredients to create a satisfying meal of sweet potato gnocchi in a savory butter and sage sauce. "This gnocchi is great served with some chorizo or bacon and some cherry tomatoes and spinach," Brookes says. You may be intimidated if you've never made any sort of pasta from scratch before, but if you've ever made any kind of dough (or even if you haven't), this will be a snap to pull off in less than an hour.
Get your gnocchi ingredients ready
You need sweet potatoes for this recipe, of course, plus a few other fairly common ingredients: butter, flour (or your preferred gluten-free equivalent), salt, parmesan cheese, sage, and garlic. That's it!
Make the sweet potato dough and form the gnocchi
It's time to make some dough! First, poke holes in your sweet potatoes, then cook them in the microwave. When they're done, let them cool a bit before scooping out the insides and mashing them thoroughly. Add the salt and flour, mix, and watch your dough start to take shape. Once it's nice and doughy, form it into a ball and divide it into 4 pieces. Roll those pieces until they resemble long worms, then cut your gnocchi pieces out of each worm. (If you want to go the extra mile, roll a fork along each piece to create ridges and texture.)
Attention, advance planners: "You could definitely make and shape the gnocchi in advance, but I would recommend boiling right before serving, as they're definitely best enjoyed fresh," Brookes says.
Cook the gnocchi and make the sauce
Now that you've made your sweet potato gnocchi — congrats, by the way — boil some water and toss them in there for about 3 minutes or until they float. While they're cooking, melt your butter in a saucepan, add the garlic and sage, and cook everything for a bit, stirring and letting the mixture become fragrant and infused with flavor. Now all that's left to do is combine sauce and gnocchi.
Plate your sweet potato gnocchi and dig in
Now that your sweet potato gnocchi have been bathed in garlic, butter, and sage, plate them up and garnish with some freshly ground black pepper and grated parmesan cheese. What could be better? It'll surely be hard to resist this flavor-filled dish, but if you end up with extra, you'll just have more to enjoy another day. "If you do have leftovers, the best way to reheat would be in the microwave," Brookes says. Happy gnocchi-ing!
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (or gluten-free equivalent)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 10 sage leaves
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Black pepper, to taste
- Prick the potatoes all over and microwave for 8 minutes until the flesh is cooked through.
- Slice the potatoes into halves and use a spoon to scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl.
- Mash the sweet potato well, add the flour and salt, and stir until it starts to come together into a dough.
- Shape the dough into a ball with your hands, then divide into roughly into 4 pieces.
- Roll each portion of dough into a long sausage shape.
- Cut each sausage into gnocchi pillows, about ¾-inch each. (If desired, roll each piece down the back of a fork to create a ridged effect.)
- Add the gnocchi to a large pan of boiling salted water and cook until they begin to float, about 3 minutes. Drain.
- Add the butter, garlic, and sage to a saucepan and stir until the butter has melted and starts to bubble. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour the garlic butter all over the cooked gnocchi.
- Serve with the grated parmesan sprinkled on top and black pepper to taste.
| Calories per Serving | 290 |
| Total Fat | 11.7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7.0 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 29.5 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 39.1 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.7 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.9 g |
| Sodium | 335.8 mg |
| Protein | 7.3 g |
