Description
Make soft, pillowy sweet potato gnocchi at home with just five simple ingredients and no eggs. This super easy recipe uses everyday ingredients to create the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi, perfect for tossing in a nutty brown butter sauce (or your fave sauce!) It’s quick enough for busy weeknights, but special enough for date nights or holiday dinners – a serious showstopper with minimal effort.
Ingredients
For the sweet potato gnocchi -
- 1 lb (500g) sweet potatoes (roughly 2 medium)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the brown butter sauce -
- 2oz (50g) chorizo, casing removed and diced (optional)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 sprig of rosemary, stem removed
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt
- Parmesan cheese, grated, to serve
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C fan) and line a sheet pan tray with parchment paper. Slice your sweet potatoes in half, then drizzle the exposed sides with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place them cut-side down on the prepared tray, then transfer them to the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until you can easily pierce them right through with a knife.
- Mix the gnocchi dough. Scoop the sweet potato flesh straight from their skins into a large bowl, then add 1 cup of ricotta, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Mix the sweet potato through the other ingredients, using your spatula or spoon to break up the flesh into a semi-smooth mixture (don’t worry if it’s not perfectly smooth).
- Add the flour. Working with about 1/2 cup at a time, add the flour to the bowl. Mix it through the dough until it’s JUST combined, then keep adding, until the dough is less sticky and able to be handled.
- Shape the gnocchi. Lightly flour a flat, clean surface, then transfer the dough onto it. Form it into a chunky log, then cut off a roughly 1-inch piece from the short end. Roll the piece into a long rope, then use a knife to slice pieces off, about 1 inch long, and transfer to a parchment paper lined tray or plate. Continue with the rest of the dough.
- Make the brown butter sauce. If you’re using chorizo, add it to a high-sided pan or skillet, then set the heat to high. Cook the chorizo, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until super crispy. Transfer to a plate, but keep any chorizo oil in the pan. Add the butter and let it melt, stirring as it starts to foam up, develop little brown spots, and smell gorgeously nutty. This is your brown butter. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Cook the gnocchi. Bring a large pot of water to the boil (I literally boil my kettle and pour that into the pot to save time), then add the gnocchi. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the gnocchi float to the top of the water. At this point, they’re ready.
- Add the gnocchi to the sauce. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked gnocchi straight into the pan with the brown butter (don’t worry if some of the cooking water gets in the pan – this helps to form a lovely luscious sauce). Turn the heat back on to medium, then toss the gnocchi through the brown butter, letting it sit undisturbed on one side for a few minutes, to crisp up the bottom.
- Finish the sauce and serve. Add the crushed garlic, flaky salt, and rosemary leaves, then toss them through the gnocchi and remove the pan from the heat. Divide the gnocchi between plates, making sure to spoon over lots of the lovely brown butter sauce. Top with the crispy chorizo and grated parmesan. Enjoy right away.
Notes
TIME SAVER: You can cut down cooking time by piercing the sweet potatoes with a fork, then popping them into the microwave on high for around 7 to 8 minutes, until super soft.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The gnocchi is best served right away, but leftovers can be reheated in the microwave and will keep for 3 days in the fridge. You can freeze the uncooked gnocchi and then cook it straight from frozen if you like – arrange them on a lined tray on a single layer, then freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer to ziplock bags. You can make the brown butter up to 2 weeks in advance (store it in the fridge) and the chorizo can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge.
INGREDIENT NOTES: Skip the nutmeg if you like, and you can use 00 flour if you have it. If you want to keep this vegetarian, you can cut out the crispy chorizo garnish. You can replace the sweet potatoes with pumpkin or butternut squash if you like – it’s a great way to use up any leftover holiday season pumpkins.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: If you don’t use the brown butter sauce, you can use the gnocchi in any pasta recipe you like (just replace the pasta with the gnocchi). I love it with creamy gochujang sauce, basil pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, mushroom Alfredo sauce or spicy tomato ‘nduja sauce.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SHAPED GNOCCHI: This is one of the most fun ways to present these gnocchi, especially around Halloween and the holiday season. It’s also INCREDIBLY easy. Follow the recipe up until you shape the gnocchi. Then, roll roughly a tablespoon of the gnocchi dough into a flat disc. Use a piece of kitchen string to press indents into the disc, working your way around to create lines that resemble a pumpkin. That’s it! Set aside, then continue with the recipe as written.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: pasta
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 350g
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 8.5g
- Sodium: 1027mg
- Fat: 27.8g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 5.3g
- Protein: 20.9g
- Cholesterol: 69mg