Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Tender, delicately textured gnocchi prepared with roasted sweet potatoes, egg yolk, and a modest amount of flour. The dough is piped directly into simmering water, producing light dumplings that may be served with sauce immediately or pan-crisped before serving.
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Ingredients
- 5.3 oz all-purpose flour preferably King Arthur all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2.2 lb sweet potatoes selected in similar sizes for even baking
- 1 egg yolk omitted for a vegan preparation
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Using a sharp knife, puncture each sweet potato several times around its surface.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn them over halfway through the baking period. They are ready when a knife passes easily through the center.
- Avoid baking them beyond this point, as excessively cooked sweet potatoes may become watery and overly soft.
- While the baked sweet potatoes remain warm, make a lengthwise opening through the center of each one and remove the flesh. The skins should separate without difficulty.
- Press the sweet potato flesh through a potato ricer directly onto a paper towel-lined tray. This helps maintain a lighter consistency.
- When a potato ricer is unavailable, thoroughly mash the flesh with a potato masher, then distribute it across the paper towels in a thin, level layer.
- Allow the prepared sweet potato to cool completely before mixing the dough.
- Transfer the cooled sweet potato flesh to a mixing bowl.
- Add the egg yolk and stir briefly to incorporate it. Leave out the yolk when preparing the vegan variation.
- Sprinkle in the salt and all-purpose flour.
- Using a fork, make gentle cutting motions back and forth through the mixture until the ingredients form a soft, loosely combined dough. Handle the mixture lightly and avoid vigorous stirring, which can produce dense gnocchi.
- Spoon the finished dough into a piping bag. A resealable plastic bag may also be used; cut an opening approximately 1.5 cm wide from one corner.
- At this stage, the filled bag may be refrigerated when the gnocchi will be boiled later.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
- Position the opening of the bag slightly above the water. Squeeze out the dough continuously and use sharp scissors to cut it into pieces measuring approximately 2 cm, allowing each portion to fall directly into the boiling water.
- Work in separate batches, piping and cutting the dough for approximately 30 seconds at a time.
- Cook each batch until the gnocchi rise to the surface.
- Once they are floating, continue cooking them for an additional 30 seconds.
- Lift the cooked gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon or spider strainer, then place them on a tray. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- Because the recipe uses only a small quantity of flour, the exterior of the cooked gnocchi may appear exceptionally soft or fluffy. This is the intended texture.
- Add the freshly boiled gnocchi directly to the pasta sauce of your choice.
- For a crisp exterior and deeper flavor, lightly pan-fry the gnocchi in olive oil until evenly golden. They may then be served with browned butter and crisp sage.
Notes
Choose sweet potatoes of comparable size so they finish baking at approximately the same time.
The sweet potato flesh must be fully cooled before the flour is added.
Minimal handling is essential for preserving the gnocchi’s light texture.
The prepared dough may be refrigerated in the piping bag before boiling.
The egg yolk may be excluded to create a vegan version.