Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I've been seeing a lot of posts floating around the web about making sweet potato gnocchi, so I decided to give it a try! I used this post from EatBoutique as a guide. The instructions didn't seem too hard, although there's really no exact recipe - the amounts of each ingredient really depend on the water content of the potato, your preferences, etc.

First, cook however many sweet potatoes you want to use. I just went with one and baked it in the oven. After the potato is finished cooking, it's best to try to eliminate as much water content as possible so it's dried out when you start making the dough. I was feeling lazy, though, so I skipped that step. If you get a chance to dry it out, though, I think it could result in a fluffier gnocchi.

The skin should peel away easily.

Sweet potato, mashed.

 The next step was to add flour to the potato. I probably added about a cup and a half or so - more than the recipe specified, likely because I didn't get rid of the excess water. What's important is to add the flour just a couple of spoonfuls at the time so you don't put in too much. Stir until the mixture seems like a manageable dough. It will be sticky, but it should stay together. I also added some grated parmesan to the mix for additional flavor. (Others have used ricotta in the dough - there's definitely room for customization in this recipe!)

When your dough reaches the right consistency, prepare a very well-floured surface. Scoop your dough onto the surface (it helps to split the dough into several more manageable portions) and flour its exterior well. Then, roll and stretch each dough portion out into a rope-like shape, keeping it dusted in flour. With a knife, cut pieces in your desired shape, roll them in flour, and set them aside. (Shape them additionally if you'd like, but my dough was extremely soft and sticky, so I just left them as they were!)

All lined up. Make sure everything is extremely well-floured! A few of mine stuck together because of just a couple of exposed bare spots.

To cook, drop them in boiling water about a handful or two at a time. They'll only need to cook for a minute or two - take them out as soon as they bob to the surface of the water. If they're left to cook for too long, they'll get mushy! To serve, I sauteed the cooked gnocchi in a little butter and tossed it with some pesto. A final dusting of parmesan finished the dish!

This is a bit of a time-consuming endeavor, but it was fun to make pasta from scratch! I've never made any sort of pasta before, so gnocchi seemed like a good place to start. The sweet potato adds a mild sweetness, and the recipe requires no special equipment or ingredients. I'd highly recommend giving it a try!