Pasta Week continues! Yesterday I showed you how I made whole wheat fettuccine with my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Today I'm going to show you how to make sweet potato gnocchi. And for gnocchi, you don't need any special equipment--only a fork and a knife! This is a pasta I've made before and while it does take a little time, it's pretty doable.
Most sweet potato gnocchi calls for potatoes that are steamed, boiled, or microwaved. I bake my sweet potatoes instead. Why? Because baking the potato brings out its natural sweetness, so you can cut down on the sugar.
Your main goal with gnocchi should be to add as little flour as possible. To help you achieve this, you need to let both the ricotta cheese and the mashed sweet potato sit in a fine mesh sieve for a bit--about two hours is good. This will allow some of the moisture to drain off.
Combine the sweet potato and ricotta in a medium bowl.
Add parmesan cheese, brown sugar (just a pinch!), and salt. Stir that all together.
Now you stir in the flour. Add it 2 tablespoons at a time. Remember, the less flour you add, the better! You want a dough that can be worked with, but if it's a little bit sticky, that's okay.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. I roll it around in the flour a little bit so it's easier to work with--like I said, it's going to be a little sticky.
Now divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll them in a little more flour if they're sticky.
Shape each piece into a rope by rolling and stretching with the palms of your hands. When you finish, it should be about 20-inches long. Again, you can roll the dough in flour so it doesn't stick. I tend not to worry about the flour on the outside of the dough; my main goal is to not incorporate too much into the dough.
Now use a knife to cut your dough into 1-inch pieces. You can be done at this point, or you can add an extra step…
…by rolling each gnocchi on a fork. Put a little flour on your thumb and press gently into the center of the gnocchi, rocking it back and forth. Shaping the gnocchi like this is a pain, but it helps sauce stick.
Set aside your finished gnocchi on a floured surface.
Boil the gnocchi in a pot of salted water a handful or two at a time. When the gnocchi is finished, it will float to the top of the pot--this takes 3-5 minutes. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon. Drain well.
When all the gnocchi is done boiling, saute it in a little butter or oil. I like adding fresh herbs too--rosemary or sage are both fantastic with sweet potato gnocchi. Cook until the gnocchi is nicely browned.
Want a printable version of this recipe? No problem! Here it is:
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c. mashed roasted sweet potato drained in fine mesh sieve for about 2 hours
- 6 oz. ricotta cheese drained in fine mesh sieve for about 2 hours
- ½ c. shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. salt
- brown sugar
- about 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour + more for rolling and shaping gnocchi
Instructions
- Combine sweet potato and ricotta in a large bowl. Add parmesan cheese, salt, and brown sugar. Stir until well-combined. Fold in flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until a dough is formed. Try to incorporate as little flour as possible--the dough should be slightly sticky, but not so sticky that you can't work with it.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Divide into 3 pieces. Using your palms, roll and stretch each piece into a 20-inch rope. Add more flour as needed.
- Use a knife to cut each rope into 20 one-inch pieces. If you like, you can shape gnocchi using the tines of a fork; place gnocchi on fork and gently press the center with your thumb, rocking back and forth.
- Boil finished gnocchi one or two handfuls at a time in a large pot of salted water for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet to cool.
- Saute gnocchi in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil over medium-high heat until heated through and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. You can also add minced fresh herbs (like sage or rosemary), garlic or caramelized onions.
Genevieve says
These pasta posts are so helpful! I'm still not sure if I'll attempt homemade pasta myself anytime soon, but if I do, I will come back to your site! I have no doubt that I would love sweet potato gnocchi!
Kiersten says
Thank you! Even if you don't make it all the time, it's one of those things you have to do at least once. 😉
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
I made sweet potato gnocchi last year and was amazed at how simple it was! Time-consuming, but simple. Never thought to bake them instead of boiling, though. Thanks for the idea! It would be nice to not have to add so much sugar.
Kiersten says
That's how I make mashed sweet potatoes too! I always bake them. It really enhances the flavor!
Alaine @ My GF & DF Living says
Yum, yum, yum! I love gnocchi, and homemade is always better!
[email protected] says
Wow, great job, Kiersten! I make gnocchi couple times with regular potatoes. They were good. I'm sure the ones made from sweet potatoes are even better.
Kiersten says
I love any kind of gnocchi, but I think the kind made with sweet potatoes is my favorite! 🙂
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
That looks beautiful, and I have only tried gnocchi once so I'm totally open to new tastes of it.
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
I was reading through the first bit and thinking, there's no way I can do this. But then I got to making the ropes and it started looking much more doable. Yum! Such a perfect Thanksgiving alternative!
Kiersten says
It's definitely doable. It times a little time, but it's not hard to do!
Jeanette says
Wow, I'm impressed - homemade gnocchi! I've only tried making them once and they didn't come out looking nearly as pretty as yours.
Kiersten says
Well, if they taste good, the looks don't matter so much. 🙂 In the past, I've skipped the whole step with shaping them on the fork. Not pretty, but still tasty!
beena says
thanks.... this is simply awesome... it smewhat resembles the muthia recipe that we make in india (especially gujaratis from india) loved this one though. and ur pics make the whole thing seem so much easier to try... must try this soon... do drop by.
Kiersten says
Thank you!
beena says
oops missed.. even something called steamed modaks we make resemble this....but this certainly is one of its kind and with cheese i am sure these taste awesome .. lovely 🙂
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
Gnocchi are on my ongoing list of things I need to learn how to make before I die. Love seeing this version. Looks like they turned out great!
Kiersten says
You should make it! It takes a little time and patience, but it's one of those things that's worth it in the end. 🙂
Deepshikha D says
Those look so delicious! I love how you included pictures of the steps, so helpful! I've never tried making homemade gnocchi, you make it seem so easy 🙂
Kiersten says
It really is easy! Gnocchi is a little bit fussy, but it's definitely doable. 🙂
Jacy says
If you make these & freeze them right away, can you boil them as directed in the regular recipe, or are the directions different when making the gnocchi after it has been frozen?
And to freeze, you freeze before boiling at all?
Thanks!
Kiersten says
I boiled the gnocchi and then froze them. Some people say you should freeze before boiling and others say after--there's really no right or wrong. After freezing, I thawed the gnocchi in the microwave and then sauteed them. They're definitely better fresh, but the frozen ones were still good!
Christa says
This look so yummy!
Lisa Miller says
This looks so good. I am relatively new to vegetarian cooking and am therefore so glad to find you! Can you share what type sauce you serve atop the sweet potato gnocchi?
Kiersten says
Thank you! And I don't put sauce on sweet potato gnocchi. You don't want to drown out the sweet potato flavor! I saute it in olive oil or butter, usually with a few teaspoons of chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, or thyme are all great), and then top with grated Parmesan cheese. You could top the gnocchi with brown butter if you wanted too. 🙂
Lisa Miller says
Thank you so much, Kiersten.
Briony says
Hi! This recipe looks great! What types of sauces would you recommend to go with this recipe?
Kiersten says
I don't use sauce on sweet potato gnocchi--just saute it in a little butter or olive oil with some minced herbs and top it with a little cheese. That's all you need! 🙂
Courtney Rae Jones says
Oh yummy! I have to make this ASAP! I love gnocchi. I think this will be my weekend project 🙂
The Good Life Diary says
Oh, this looks so delicious! Have to try it soon, we do love sweet potato at home 🙂
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Yummy! I've been wanting to try gnocchi on my own forever now! So thanks for the step by step. I just love the idea of make sweet potato(or even pumpkin) gnocchi! 🙂
alissa says
I tried this & must have done something wrong. I could not get my dough stickiness level down to even kind of being able to work with it, and the gnocchis were so gluey. I tried adding more flour to the second batch, which made the dough easier, but the texture worse. The flavor was excellent, but the texture was way off. I'm sure this is an awesome recipe & I really want to be able to make it! 🙂 Any tips or ideas of what I could do better next time?
Kiersten says
I'm sorry it didn't work out! Usually it's when you add too much flour that the texture ends up being heavy and gluey. (Although I'm glad it tasted good--at least there's that!) I try to add most of the flour to the outside of the gnocchi and then as I go through each step of the shaping process, I add a little more. This way, the inside has a minimal amount of flour (which keeps it from being too heavy), but the outside is still workable. Making gnocchi is definitely fussy and it's one of those things that you get better at with practice. Which is unfortunate for those first few batches. 😉
Shawna O says
Do you think it would be possible to make them with brown rice flour? Yum!
Kiersten says
I haven't tried it, so I can't say. If you've made pasta with it before, I don't see why not!
The Gypsy Chef says
This looks delicious. It's a terrific idea! You have such a nice site that I am glad I dropped by.
Kiersten says
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
rebecca says
I, too, am wondering about other flours. We are a wheat-free family, but I LOVE the idea of these. I'm wondering about almond flour...
Kiersten says
Since I haven't tried it myself and I'm not really familiar with gluten-free cooking, I can't say whether it would work or not, but if you try it, definitely let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Nelibelly says
Great recipe, made these for dinner last night with brown butter and sage! My dough was super soft, so i couldn't get them shaped perfectly, but they were yummy! Thanks for the pictures, they're so helpful!
Kiersten says
I'm glad they turned out well! Even if they're not shaped perfectly, as long as they taste good, that's what matters, right? 😉
Renee Capicchioni Vannata says
Has anyone been successful in making these Gluten-Free? If so, what flour did you use? And what sauce did you serve with them?
Kiersten says
If you do a search for gluten-free sweet potato gnocchi, you'll find a few options. 🙂
Erika says
THIS IS MY DREAM FOOD!!! I've been wanting to try these for the longest time, but hadn't found any recipes that really caught my eye. These look SO good! Do you have any hunch whether it'd be okay to use whole wheat or spelt flour in these? Again: YUM.
Kiersten says
I really have no idea, so if you try it, let me know. 😉 I would think that yes, you could (and I'm pretty sure a blogger adapted this recipe using GF flour and it worked), but gnocchi can be temperamental, so you never know...