Sweet potato gnocchi (Italian dumplings)

Sweet potato gnocchi are Italian dumplings made using sweet potatoes, flour and egg and pair well with a variety of sauces.

They are made using only four common ingredients and are simple to make.

Gnocchi are often served as an appetiser tossed in a light sauce such as pesto or melted butter and sage. They can also be added to soups or used as part of a main meal. Try them in a simple a one pan dinner combined with roast veggies in a homemade fresh tomato sauce and topped with cheese.

Homemade gnocchi can be boiled, baked or fried depending on the recipe you are following.

They can be prepared in advance and are suitable for freezing.

If you are looking for other Italian inspired recipes you could take a look at this recipe for homemade egg pasta, some cheese and spinach ravioli or you could make your own spinach pasta.

Why not make some homemade focaccia, muffin tin focaccia, easy no knead olive bread or some tear and share rosemary and olive rolls to accompany your meal.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes - about 650 grams total weight before cooking
• 1 egg
• Flour - use enough to bind the dough into a ball which is not too sticky. You will need around 200 grams but this may vary depending on how much moisture the sweet potatoes hold.
• Salt

How to prepare

Pierce the skins of the sweet potatoes and microwave until soft. Scoop the insides out and place in a bowl. Mash with the back of a spoon to make sure there are no lumps and leave to cool.

Add the egg and salt to the mashed sweet potato and mix.

Sieve about half the flour into the bowl of sweet potato and mix using a fork. Add the rest of the flour a little at a time until the mixture forms a ball of dough which is no longer sticky.

Take part of the dough and roll out on a floured board to form a sausage about 12 mm (about half and inch) in diameter.

Cut into lengths of about 20 mm (about three quarters of an inch). Roll each piece of dough over an implement to form grooves in the dumpling such as the back of a fork or the wires of an egg slicer. The ridges will help to hold any pasta sauce to the dumpling.

Place on a floured board until ready to cook.

TIP - aim to cut the gnocchi into similar sized pieces so that they have a similar cooking time.

How to cook gnocchi

• To boil - bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the gnocchi, bring back to the boil and then simmer until cooked. The gnocchi will be cooked when they float to the top of the water. Drain and then serve.
• To fry - boil as above, dry and then fry in a little extra virgin olive oil or butter until golden. Toss part way through cooking.
• To cook in the oven - add the uncooked gnocchi to your baked sheet pan dinner and the gnocchi will cook along with the rest of your meal.

How to serve gnocchi

• Serve as a first course in a light sauce such as butter and sage or pesto.
• Serve as part of a main dish as a substitute for pasta shapes or as part of a baked sheet pan dinner.
• Prepare smaller gnocchi for adding to soups such as tomato, bean and pasta soup or minestrone soup.

How to store

• Store in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
• Sweet potato gnocchi are perfect for freezing. Lay on a tray, freeze and then transfer to an airtight container in the freezer where they will keep for up to one month. Your homemade gnocchi can be cooked from frozen.

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