Sweet potato gnocchi recipe

There are lots of delicious ideas for a turkey-less Thanksgiving: squash lasagna, veggie stew, your favorite stuffing as a main dish and now — drum roll, please — sweet potato gnocchi.

I have always loved any type of dumpling. When I was little, my mom’s Italian friend Isabella would always make gnocchi for me and her daughter Sara if we were well-behaved (sadly, that didn’t happen too often). The only ingredients were potatoes, flour and salt, and the sauce was just plain old melted butter. Sounds boring but so not!

The sweet-potato version here, flavored with brown sugar, is a little more elaborate, but it just seems sooo right place, right time. It’s vegetarian, hearty and has that simple butter sauce that’s like a taste of freakin’ heaven! Plus, wouldn't these be pretty on a Thanksgiving table?

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

• 2 1-pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), rinsed, patted dry
• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2/3 cup Parmesan
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1½ to 1¾ cup flour


• 1 stick butter
• 8 sage leaves

Preheat oven to 400° and roast the sweet potatoes until tender and fully cooked, between 50 and 60 minutes. Cut in half and let cool. Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash, then transfer 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Add ricotta and blend. Add salt, pepper, Parmesan and brown sugar and mash to blend. Mix in flour, ½ cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

Turn dough onto floured work surface and shape into a ball; divide the ball into six equal-size pieces. Roll out each piece to make a cigar-shaped strip, about one foot long. Cut each cigar-shaped strip into 12 pieces. Gently press and roll down each piece on the tines of a fork. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper or kitchen towels (don’t use paper towels or the gnocchi might stick).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add gnocchi and cook until tender but not mushy, about 5 or 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi and tent with foil to keep warm.

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and continue to cook, swirling the butter occasionally, until butter begins to brown. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add butter sauce to gnocchi and serve.

Serves 6

Comments

I made a version of this for Thanksgiving last year and it was a huge hit for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. I think mine called for cinnamon in the sauce and the sweet-savory combo was to die for.

I will definitely try this version out. It looks delicious (and much easier than the recipe I made.

Just as a note, I used a potato ricer to "mash" the potatoes the second time I made this and the gnocchi came out very light and fluffy.

This looks startling similar to Giada's recipe from the Food Network.

Jessica, I just want to say for the record I would never ever copy a recipe from another source. All the recipes I develop are original and tested (and sometimes retested) before publishing. Your post inspired me to find Giada's recipe on the Food Network site, and I have to say there are several differences between the two.

I was wondering if you could prepare the gnocchi a day in advance and keep refrigerated until it is time to cook. I've tried this with regular gnocchi and it doesn't work well because the potatoes oxidize and turn a weird color. I'm not sure if sweet potatoes would do the same or not.

More importantly, where can I get that PLATE???

Kirsten, I agree - I love that plate! Recipe sounds great, though! We have an annual "friends" Thanksgiving with all friends and I going to being this as my dish.

The veggie entree looks like someone threw up on the plate. Not sure if it's bad photog or if the entree really looks that bad. Having been a vege for most my life I would not try that. That are lots of recipes on the web that are great for Thanksgiving that are vege or even vegan.

This recipe looks great. I was wondering if the ricotta was necessary since I'm lactose intolerant or can I sub something else instead?

Hi Kat, I haven't tried it this way but you could probably substitute an egg for the ricotta. You will likely have to cut back on the flour--too much and the gnocchi will be tough. Just use enough to keep things together. Hope that helps!

This looks wonderful (not at all like someone "threw up on the plate - Carrie must not have ever seen gnocchi before, we'll pardon her rude comments). I plan on trying this on the weekend! Thanks so much!

i do agree with all of you are my friends