This sweet potato gnocchi recipe is healthy, fairly easy to make and absolutely delicious!! On top of that, it will save you money and plastic waste.
It’s easier than you think.
I love Italian food and especially gnocchi. But the thought of making them myself was rather daunting. In my mind, the whole process was too hard and messy. Quite frankly, it’s neither. I also want to believe that substituting potatoes with sweet potatoes makes this otherwise heavy dish a bit healthier.
What I also like about this recipe is its very short list of ingredients. All you need is one sweet potato and flour. Both of them are probably standard items in your kitchen pantry anyway. It’s really that simple.
Another reason I like making gnocchi myself is that it saves me quite a bit of money. Store-bought gnocchi aren’t cheap and they are even more expensive if they’re made with sweet potatoes. On top of this, I don’t have to deal with plastic waste which is a big factor for me.
How to make sweet potato gnocchi
Making sweet potato gnocchi is not hard, it just takes a little bit of practice. When I first tried it, I had troubles getting the dough right. Most of the times it was too liquid, and after adding a whole lot of flour it would turn into cement. Not very helpful when you’re trying to make fluffy gnocchi. But eventually, I got the hang of it and now the dough right every time.
Equipment:
- Small pot
- Medium pot
- Mixing bowl
- Stick mixer of potato press
- Organic wax paper or cling wrap
- Wooden spoon/fork
- Chopping board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups of sweet potatoes puree (small to medium size)
- 1 cup of flour (type 00 if available, if not regular flour works just fine)
- Nutmeg
Instructions:
Step 1
Peel the sweet potato and dice it into little cubes. They don’t have to look pretty because you will mash them anyway. Put them in a small pot, add some water to ensure that the sweet potatoes don’t burn to the pot. I also add a hint of nutmeg for flavour. Bring the water to a boil and let the sweet potatoes boil till they’re soft. This should only take about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how big the dices are. Check regularly. Drain the water and let the sweet potatoes cool down.
Step 2
Mash the sweet potato dices with a potato masher. You can also use a stick mixer for this if you like the mix to be smooth. I like a few tiny bits of sweet potato in mine, so I only mash them for a few minutes.
Step 3
Transfer the sweet potato puree into a mixing bowl. Now add the flour to the sweet potato puree. I usually use about one cup but this depends on how much puree you got. You might need more or less flour. Start with pouring the flour in bit by bit. Gently mix the sweet potato puree with the flour using a wooden spoon or fork. Keep adding flour until both form a firm dough. Knead the dough with your hands until smooth. Then wrap the dough with organic wax paper or cling wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Step 4
Take the dough out of the fridge. I usually divide it into two halves because it makes the next step easier. Take one half and form a long and slim roll by rolling it with your hands. Before you do that, dust the surface with flour to avoid sticking. Once you’re done with the roll, cut the roll into little gnocchi of about 1.5 cm. Repeat with the second piece of sweet potato dough.
Step 5
Add your homemade sweet potato gnocchi to a pot with plenty of boiling water. You know that you’re sweet potato gnocchi are done when they come up to the surface. This should only take a few minutes.
Enjoy your delicious sweet potato gnocchi
Congrats, you just made delicious homemade sweet potato gnocchi. It wasn’t that hard, right? Enjoy them with your favourite pasta sauce, may it be blue cheese, tomato or my favourite, healthy and tasty carrot greens pesto!
