Sweet potato gnocchi
Sweet potato gnocchi
This recipe is inspired by an episode of Jamie Oliver in Italy where a Nonna demonstrated how to make classic gnocchi. It is an indulgent dish made with a few simple ingredients found in most people’s pantries. I was surprised when the Nonna said “no” to adding eggs, so the dish did not need veganizing – it is 100% plant-based.
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
Gnocchi
1 ½ pounds potatoes - half russet (high starch) and half sweet potato
1 cup organic all-purpose flour, plus extra for working the dough
1 teaspoon pink salt
Tomato sauce
1 can 796 ml diced tomatoes (no salt)
1 680 ml jar passata (pureed tomatoes)
1 cup onion – diced
2 tablespoons fresh garlic – minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 teaspoon cane sugar
½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
Steps
Tomato sauce
Sauté the onions and garlic in water or a little oil and sprinkle with salt. Add tomatoes, passata and sugar. Simmer for a half-hour to reduce the sauce and bring the flavours together. Add the fresh basil. Cook a couple more minutes. Taste – add additional salt if needed. Set it aside while you make the gnocchi.
Gnocchi
Wash the potatoes. Leave the skin on and cut them into large pieces. Boil them in well-salted water. When they are fork-tender, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon (reserve the water in the pot). Place the potatoes on a large cutting board to cool and dry out. Peel and mash the potatoes on the board. Add the flour to the potatoes - ¼ cup at a time. Add the salt as you gently work the dough on a well-floured surface. It is a balancing act between not enough flour and too much. Overworking it will develop the gluten too much.
Using your hands, flatten the dough and cut it into stripes. Cut strips into 1-inch pieces. Lightly roll each piece down the backside of a fork to create groves in the dough. The grooves will help the sauce stick to the gnocchi.
It is best to cook the gnocchi right away, however, I have stored them for a few hours in an airtight container in the fridge before cooking. Resting too long will affect the consistency and colour. You can also freeze the gnocchi. Place the lightly floured gnocchi on a baking sheet. When frozen, they can be placed in a freezer bag. Cook them directly from frozen.
Bring the potato cooking water you reserved back to a boil. Add more water if needed. Drop gnocchi into the pot one piece at a time. Don’t overcrowd the pot. They are ready when they float.
Scoop the cooked gnocchi out of the pot with a slotted spoon and place it in the tomato sauce.
Serve with a dollop of pesto (microgreens pesto or carrot top pesto) and a sprinkle of cashew parmesan.
