Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Thanks to my CSA, I have had an abundance of sweet potatoes recently.  Not wanting to do the same stuff I always do, I was bold enough to try making sweet potato gnocchi.  Spoiler alert: it is so easy and fun!  And it pairs well with my favorite sauce, pesto.  Delicious pasta success!

To show you just how easy, I have made a little instructional video at the link below.  If you find it helpful, let me know in the comments!  I've never made a cooking video before, so if you have any advice on how to improve it or other recipes that you would like to see, let me know that too.

Cooking On Call Presents...Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Without further ado, here's the recipe!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Serves 7 (about 14 gnocchi per serving)
Total time: 2 hours
Hands-on time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb sweet potato (about 1 large or 3 small)
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup flour + about 1 1/4 cup flour + flour for work surface
Kosher salt

Directions:

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Peel the sweet potatoes and add to the pot, until cooked through, about 30-40 minutes.  Remove potatoes to a colander, run under cold water for 1 minute, and allow to drain well.  The potatoes should be on the dry side.  Transfer to a large bowl and mash thoroughly using a potato masher or ricer.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

2.  Bring a second large pot of well salted water to boil while you prepare the gnocchi.  Set up a floured work surface.

3.  Add the ricotta, salt, and pepper to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix well.  Add in 3/4 cup of flour and incorporate using a fork, until a shaggy mixture forms.  The mixture should not stick to the sides of the bowl.  Add more flour in small increments (tablespoon at a time) as necessary to keep from sticking.

4.  Dump your dough onto the floured work surface.  Fold the dough in half, rotate 90º, and fold again.  Continue rotating and folding the dough, adding more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.  I end up using 1 1/4 cups of additional flour in this step.  Avoid using too much flour because it will produce hard, rather than tender, gnocchi.

5.  Shape the dough into a rectangle and divide into 6 equal pieces.  Keeping the surface well-floured, roll a piece of dough into a 1-inch rope.  Using a knife or pastry cutter, slice into 1/2-inch pieces.  Roll these pieces into balls and gently press your thumb into the center to create the gnocchi shape.  You can also use a well-floured fork to create gnocchi with indentions.  Repeat with remaining pieces.

6. If cooking immediately, place desired amount of gnocchi into boiling water.  If cooking a large amount, do multiple batches so that the gnocchi do not crowd the pot and stick together.  Allow to cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring once to ensure the gnocchi are not stuck.  The gnocchi will rise to the surface when they are ready!  Remove with a slotted spoon if doing multiple batches, or drain well.  Add the gnocchi to your favorite sauce, heat through, and serve!

Storage:

Refrigerator, cooked: If you want to save a serving or two for tomorrow's dinner, remove the cooked gnocchi from the pot and immediately place in a bowl of ice water.  After 10 minutes, drain well, toss in olive oil, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Freezer, uncooked: If saving the gnocchi for later, flour a baking sheet and arrange uncooked gnocchi in a single layer.  Dust with flour as needed.  Place in the freezer for 2 hours, or until completely frozen.  Divide into single servings if desired and freeze for up to 2 months.  To use, simply place the frozen gnocchi into a pot of boiling water and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until they float to the top.  No thawing necessary!


Recipe adapted from Chrissy Teigen's Cravings and Delallo's "How To Make Homemade Potato Gnocchi"