Sweet Potato Gnocchi

A neighborhood Italian restaurant serves some of the best Sweet Potato Gnocchi I have ever tasted and the dumplings are soft and tender and so delicious with browned butter and sage and Parmesan and today I will show how I make my Sweet Potato Gnocchi at home easily with some easy to find ingredients. Just to know that my Sweet Potato Gnocchi turned out so delicious and so tender almost like the restaurant version and I really love this dish and I also tried the same cooking method with regular potatoes and the result was even better than expected so I will leave some tasty other variations below that you can try using the same ingredients and the same cooking process.

Usually Sweet Potato Gnocchi is served during a cozy fall dinner and it is so incredible and I recommend anyone to enjoy it and when you want another comforting seasonal recipe you can try my pumpkin sourdough bread. Also for my recipe I use a large pot and a cast iron skillet for cooking and I recommend boiling the gnocchi before finishing it in browned butter instead and simply shape your dough and cook the pieces until they float and then brown them gently until cooked through.

Ingredients

Here is what I use for this recipe and you can adjust nuts or spices based on preference:

• Sweet potatoes: They provide natural sweetness and moisture while creating the orange base of the gnocchi dough.
• Ricotta cheese: It adds tenderness and lightness while preventing the cooked gnocchi from becoming dense.
• Large egg yolk: It binds the mashed sweet potato and flour so the shaped pieces hold together during boiling.
• All purpose flour: It gives the dough enough structure for shaping while keeping the finished centers tender.
• Finely grated Parmesan cheese: It seasons the dough and adds a salty nutty finish to the plated gnocchi.
• Fine sea salt: It balances the sweetness of the potatoes and seasons both the dough and cooking water.
• Ground nutmeg: It adds gentle warmth that complements the sweet potato without overpowering the sage.
• Unsalted butter: It browns in the skillet and creates the rich sauce that coats the cooked gnocchi.
• Fresh sage leaves: They become crisp in the butter and add an earthy herbal flavor to the finished dish.
• Black pepper: It adds mild heat and a savory contrast to the sweet and buttery flavors.

Tools You’ll Need

• Large pot: It cooks the whole sweet potatoes and later provides enough room for the shaped gnocchi to boil without crowding.
• Mixing bowl: It holds the mashed sweet potato and gives enough space to fold the dough ingredients together gently.
• Potato masher: It breaks the cooked sweet potato into a mostly smooth texture without making the flesh gluey.
• Wooden cutting board: It provides a stable area for rolling the dough into ropes and cutting the individual gnocchi pieces.
• Sharp knife: It divides the soft dough ropes into evenly sized yet naturally imperfect bite sized pieces.
• Fork: It creates shallow ridges that help the browned butter and Parmesan cling to each dumpling.
• Slotted spoon: It lifts the floating gnocchi from the water while allowing excess liquid to drain away.
• Cast iron skillet: It browns the butter and crisps several sides of the boiled gnocchi for added texture.
• White serving plates: They hold individual portions and make the orange gnocchi and browned edges easy to see.

Instructions

Step 1: Mash the cooked sweet potatoes

Cook the 2 medium sweet potatoes until completely soft and then remove the skins while the flesh is still warm. Mash the orange flesh until mostly smooth with a few small uneven pieces remaining and then spread it loosely in the mixing bowl so steam can escape.

Tip: Let the mashed sweet potato cool until only slightly warm because very hot potato can absorb extra flour and make the gnocchi heavy.

Step 2: Mix the soft gnocchi dough

Fold the 1/2 cup ricotta and 1 egg yolk and 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon salt and nutmeg into the cooled sweet potato until streaks remain. Add the 1 1/2 cups flour gradually and fold until a soft orange dough forms with pale flour patches disappearing and a slightly tacky uneven surface.

Tip: Stop adding flour as soon as the dough holds together because a soft slightly sticky dough creates the most tender gnocchi.

Step 3: Roll and cut the gnocchi

Divide the dough into 4 uneven portions and roll each portion into a rope that is about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the ropes into about 48 irregular bite sized pieces and press each piece gently so shallow ridges form while the dumplings remain slightly different in shape.

Tip: Dust the pieces lightly with flour and keep them loosely separated so their soft edges do not stick together before boiling.

Step 4: Boil the gnocchi until floating

Lower the 48 shaped gnocchi pieces into salted simmering water in small batches so they have room to move. Cook until the dumplings rise from the bottom and float at the surface with slightly puffed edges and a deeper orange color and then drain them carefully.

Tip: Remove each batch shortly after the pieces float because overcooking can soften the dumplings until they lose their shape.

Step 5: Brown the gnocchi with sage butter

Melt the 5 tablespoons butter with exactly 12 sage leaves until the butter turns amber and the leaves become darker and crisp around the edges. Add all 48 drained gnocchi and gently shift and flip them until several sides develop uneven golden patches and the browned butter coats the ridges.

Tip: Leave some gnocchi untouched for a moment before flipping because direct contact creates crisp edges without drying the tender centers.

Step 6: Plate and finish the gnocchi

Transfer one serving of about 12 gnocchi pieces onto a white plate and arrange them loosely with several browned sides facing upward. Spoon over a little browned butter and scatter 3 crisp sage leaves with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan divided across the servings and finish with black pepper.

Tip: Serve immediately while the edges remain lightly crisp and the Parmesan softens unevenly over the warm gnocchi.

Pro Tips

• Drain the ricotta thoroughly before mixing because extra liquid forces you to add more flour and can create dense gnocchi.
• Mash the sweet potato while warm and let it cool uncovered so excess steam escapes before the flour is folded into the dough.
• Handle the dough lightly and stop kneading once it holds together because overworking develops gluten and toughens the gnocchi.
• Test one gnocchi in simmering water first and add a spoonful of flour only when the test piece breaks apart while cooking.

Storage Instructions

Let leftover Sweet Potato Gnocchi cool completely before storing because trapped steam can soften the browned edges and create excess moisture. Place the cooked gnocchi in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 4 days and keep any extra sage butter with the dumplings so the flavor remains rich. Reheat the gnocchi in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through and lightly crisp again and add a small amount of butter when the pan looks dry. For longer storage freeze uncooked shaped gnocchi in one loose layer until firm and then transfer the pieces to a sealed freezer bag for up to 2 months. Boil frozen gnocchi directly from the freezer and allow a little extra time for the pieces to float before finishing them in browned sage butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

See You in the Kitchen

I hope you try this Sweet Potato Gnocchi soon because it is a simple recipe that looks beautiful and tastes incredible and makes every weeknight dinner a little more special.

Do not forget to share your results or save this recipe for later because it is one worth keeping and you can also serve it with pumpkin sourdough bread or finish the evening with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Print