How to make Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe

Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe

Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe Overview

Handmade sweet potato gnocchi is a delightful twist on traditional Italian dumplings, crafted by combining mashed sweet potatoes with flour and seasonings. The resulting dough is rolled into small pillows, creating soft and pillowy gnocchi that boast a distinct sweet and savory flavor profile. This artisanal dish offers a unique and comforting experience, perfect for those seeking a flavorful departure from the classic potato-based gnocchi.

Gnocchi has been enjoyed across many regions of Europe for eons using different ingredients and methodologies.

Ingredients for This Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe

Kitchen Tools For This Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe

Cooking Directions for this Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe:

1. Wash your sweet potatoes under running water. You may peel them, cut into sections and boil them until soft throughout (20-25mins), or you can boil them whole, skin-on (covered in next step). While the sink of the potato is nutrient-dense it adds blemishes to otherwise perfectly orange texture of the gnocchi. Also, the skin changes the texture of the gnocchi.



Wash, peel, cut into sections, and boil for 20-25 minutes or until cooked.




2. You may also boil your sweet potatoes whole, skin-on. This requires an additional 5-10 minutes of boil time, but the skin falls right off. Be sure to allow your sweet potatoes 15-20 minutes to cool down before handling. Using a potato masher you can press down on the now boiled potatoes to create the sweet potato mash.



Take special care, as the sweet potatoes will be extremely hot after boiling.




3. Add your sweet potato mash from the step above along with 1 cup of flour, and a pinch of slat salt, and pepper to your mixer. Mix well until the ingredients have bonded and are fully incorporated. After this, crack one egg and add the yolk and egg white, mixing on a low setting until fully incorporated.



Fully incorporate your ingredients to complete the dough.




4. Utilize some of your remaining flour to dust your cutting board or working surface. Fold out your dough, and use flour as needed to dissuade it from sticking.



Use flour as needed to dissuade the dough from sticking.




5. Section your dough into 4 even bricks. Each will be used independently to prepare the dumplings. You may store extra dough sections in the fridge (3-4 days) or in the freezer. With one section, roll the dough into a rope, about the thickness of a wine cork. Slice into ½-¾” sections.



Your dumplings can be about ½-¾” long.




6. Bring a quart of salted water to a boil. When the water boils gently drop the sweet potato gnocchi in the boiling water. Use a ladle to place the gnocchi in the water to not create a splash as the gnocchi gently enter the boiling water. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom of the pot, then will surface when they are cooked. The process of cooking gnocchi takes about 2-3 minutes. When the gnocchi float, you can remove them and place them and place them on your serving plate. (Boil a few dumplings at a time so they do not stick to each other).



Only boil a few dumplings at a time so they do not stick together.




7. Melt half a stick of butter in a hot pan. If you’d like, add aromatic herbs to the butter to infuse with more flavor, removing the cooked herbs prior to frying the dumplings. Place your dumplings in the pan, and lightly toss them to coat in butter. Your gnocchi is ready to serve once they develop flecks of cooked crust on the outside. ***



Your dumplings should develop flecks of crispy exterior.




8. Plate and enjoy your handmade, sweet potato gnocchi. Finish the gnocchi with tomato sauce, pesto sauce and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy these with a salad or protein of your choice for a delectable meal.



Your gnocchi will be beautiful, orange pillows with a crispy exterior.

*** Step seven above is optional. Similar to traditional potato gnocchi, sweet potato gnocchi do not have to be seared in a pan to be served. You can take them out of the boiling water and plate them to enjoy.