SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI

Simple to make, use a food mill or ricer for a smoother mash to create pillowy sweet potato bites with deep grooves to hold any sauce. Make extra sweet potato puree and reserve a cup for a quick pan sauce. Cook gnocchi in salted water and pan fry for an all-butter-dressed bite, or prepare a quick pan sauce to fill in the grooves.

APPLE SAGE STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH.jpeg

RECIPE CARD PDF

INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups/625 ml mashed sweet potatoes (2 lbs roasted whole or peeled,
cubed sweet potatoes /about 2 to 3 potatoes)
2 tsp/10 ml sea salt (half for salting water/half for gnocchi dough)
1½ to 2 cups/375-500 ml all-purpose flour + more flour for dusting the
workspace (be generous with the flour to avoid sticky dough)

1 tbsp/15 ml olive oil
3 tbsp/45 ml plant-based butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 fresh sage leaves, whole or rough chop
Optional: ¼ cup/60 ml reserved cooked sweet potatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish: small sprigs of squash and pepita seeds

METHOD
Depending on the day, if I don’t want to peel the sweet potatoes, I roast them in a 350°F/176°C oven until soft to the touch and cool before peeling.

If you don’t mind peeling and cubing the sweet potatoes, place them in a pot of salted cold water and bring them to a boil. Cook until a fork tender, 10 -12 minutes. Drain and cool the potatoes before passing them through a food mill, ricer, or mash with a potato masher until smooth.

Transfer to a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp/5 ml salt and 1 cup/250 ml of the flour. Use your floured hands or a dough cutter to mix the flour in. Add ½ to 1 cup/125-250 ml of the remaining flour to the dough; do not over mix; add just enough flour to combine. The dough will feel slightly soft but hold its
shape. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape dough into a loaf and rest for 15 minutes. Cut dough into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a 3/4” /2 cm thick rope. Cut the individual gnocchi into ½ ”/1.3 cm pieces or your desired size.

Shape the gnocchi; use a flour-dusted gnocchi board, a concave part of a curved hand grater, or a large tinned fork. Draw a piece of dough in a motion of the letter C. Transfer to a generously floured baking sheet. Place the pieces on floured baking sheets and cover them with tea towels.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Transfer the gnocchi into the boiling water in batches and let them cook until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to drain and remove to a large platter.

Heat a large skillet; add the olive oil, 1 tbsp/15 ml plant-based butter, garlic, and sage leaves. Transfer drained gnocchi to pan in batches to avoid crowding and sauté until golden brown. If you are only serving with butter sage sauce, add the remaining 2 tbsp/30 ml plant-based butter to the pan. If you are preparing a pan sauce, season the sweet potato puree with salt and pepper to taste before adding it to the pan. Gently coat the sauteed gnocchi. Plate and garnish with sprigs of squash and pepita seeds.

Note: if you are not using them, immediately freeze them raw or rinse them under cold water after cooking and set them aside to cool before freezing.

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SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI

healthy swops to adopt

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