Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Would the great Italian cook Marcella Hazan approve of this version? I wonder. Still, as tradition dictates, this sweet potato gnocchi is far from chewy or tough. Sweet potatoes belong to the same mealy texture category as regular potatoes. Feel free to use those for the traditional recipe. Several cooking methods are possible, as long as the sweet potatoes are not waterlogged, as if they were boiled in water or steamed. Roasting them in the oven allows them to require less flour, making them lighter. Create grooves using your favorite technique. And finally, have fun!
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Servings: 4
Calories: 562kcal
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- 1 Peeler (optional)
- 1 Food mill or potato ricer
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Knife
- 1 Fork or gnocchi board
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb (685 g) sweet potato
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Sage butter
- ½ cup (4 oz/113 g) non-dairy butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves about 2 large sage sprigs
- ½ cup grated vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Poke several deep holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. When ready, peel them with your fingers or a peeler while hot. While hot, puree them using a food mill or potato ricer in a bowl or on a work surface.
- Add most of the flour to the pureed sweet potatoes and knead until smooth. Some sweet potatoes absorb less flour than others, so it's best not to add it all unless you know exactly how much they absorb. Stop adding flour when the dough becomes soft and smooth but still sticky.
- Sprinkle the surface lightly with flour. Divide the dough into four parts and shape them into sausage-like rolls about 1 inch/2 cm thick. Slice the dough into ½ inch/1 cm long pieces. When working with the gnocchi, repeatedly dust your hands and your work surface with flour.
- Shape the gnocchi so that they cook evenly and hold the sauce well.
- Using a fork: Choose a fork with long, thin, and, if possible, round tines. Standing over the work surface, hold the fork more or less parallel to the work surface with the convex side (the back, domed side) down and the concave side (the hollow of the fork) up. With the index finger of your other hand, hold one of the cut pieces against the inner curve of the fork, just below the ends of the prongs. Pressing the piece against the prongs, turn it away from the ends and toward the fork handle. The finger should turn the piece over and not slide it. Drop it on the counter as the piece rolls away from the prongs.
- Using the gnocchi board: Hold the gnocchi board with your usual working hand. Hold one of the cut pieces against the grooves with the index finger of the other hand. Pressing the piece against these, turn it over, then drop it on the counter.
- If done correctly, it will have ridges on the side formed by the tines and a depression on the side formed by your finger. When the gnocchi is shaped this way, the middle section is thinner and becomes more tender, while the ridges become grooves for the sauce to adhere to.
- If possible, choose a large pan, 6 quarts (5.68 liters) and 12 inches (10.5 cm) in diameter. The larger, the better; it will hold more gnocchi at once. Put about 4 quarts (3.78 liters) of water, bring to a boil and add salt generously.
- Test the gnocchi. Before placing the first batch of gnocchi, put only two (2) or three (3) in the water. When the dumplings float to the surface 4 minutes later, retrieve them and taste them. If they taste too floury, add two (2) minutes to the cooking time; if they are almost dissolved, remove two (2).
- Place the first whole batch of gnocchi, about two dozen. In a few minutes they will float to the surface. Let them cook for about 4 minutes, depending on the time determined earlier, then remove them with a slotted spoon or a large spoon and transfer them to a warm serving dish.
- Prepare the sage butter. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add sage and cook until crisp. Pour the gnocchi on top, distributing it evenly and sprinkle lightly with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Stored in an airtight container, this Sweet Potato Gnocchi will keep for 3 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
Notes
- Pierce the sweet potatoes thoroughly to ensure the sweet potato meat is cooked. They should be cooked just enough to be easily mashed with a fork.
- Once the flour is added to the sweet potato purée, do not to over-knead the dough. This can make it sticky and difficult to work with. Knead just enough to obtain a homogeneous and smooth dough.
- To prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface and the gnocchi from deforming, generously flour the work surface before rolling and cutting the dough.
Variants
- Potato Gnocchi: choose regular potatoes that are more or less round and good for boiling. According to Marcella Hazan, russet potatoes (aka Idaho) might prove too mealy (but only according to a few); the new potatoes will be too wet. The Yukon Golds would be perfect. When cooking, wait until pieces float to the surface 10 seconds later, retrieve and taste. If they taste too floury, add two (2) or three (3) seconds to the cooking time; if they are almost dissolved, remove two (2).
- Low-FODMAP or Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi: replace all-purpose flour with spelt flour, rice flour, or gluten-free flour.
Nutrition
Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 4g | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 24133IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 4mg
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