Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I always seem to have leftover sweet potatoes around the holidays. My kids are not very fond of sweet potatoes but my husband and I are. They are delicious but also have good nutrients and fiber in them. My daughter might not eat the sweet potatoes the first time around but if I mash up them up in gnocchi, she loves them.  We had these babies a few days after Thanksgiving.  The gnocchi were served with browned butter, bacon, chives and a touch of cream. You can serve them with your favorite sauce and don’t forget the cheese!

Some helpful tips when making gnocchi:

* If the sweet potatoes were just cooked, make sure they are cooled off before using them. If they are leftover and from the fridge, bring them to room temperature.
* Lay some wax paper on your counter so that the flour and gnocchi don’t stick.
*Use a fork to make ridges in the gnocchi. The ridges aren’t necessary but will make the sauce stick better.
*If you do not have leftover sweet potatoes, bake them on a foil lined baking sheet in a 400 degree over for one hour. Pierce the skin with a fork before baking.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

2 medium size sweet potatoes, already cooked
1 egg, beaten
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour
salt

Cut the sweet potatoes in half and peel off skin. Put in a medium size bowl and mash well. Make a well in the center and add egg. Mix together thoroughly.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix together. Reserve the other cup of flour. Line your counter top with wax paper and sprinkle with a few spoons of flour. Put the ball of sweet potato mixture on top of the paper and knead into a soft dough. Add more flour if necessary. Dough should be slightly sticky. Cut off a chunk of dough and roll it out into a 1/2 inch in diameter rope. Use a little sprinkling of flour on the paper if the dough is sticking too much. After you roll out the rope, sprinkle the rope with flour and cut with a sharp knife into one- inch pieces. Place on the wax paper and sprinkle with additional flour so the gnocchi don’t stick together. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. Take a fork and make horizontal lines in each gnocchi. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Put the gnocchi in the water and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until gnocchi rise to the top. Drain in a colander and serve with your favorite sauce. Makes about three main dish servings or 4 appetizer servings.

Tagged as: pasta, sweet potatoes