I make this sweet potato gnocchi quite often for work and at home. The recipe comes from Anna Jones, an English, vegetarian cookbook author who exploded onto the scene several years ago with A Modern Way to Eat. She’s since penned two more books and is sometimes called “the new Nigella” of the vegetable world. I’m not a vegetarian but I love eating this way to take a break from meat. Her recipes feel fresh, exciting and innovative. Not simply substitutes for meat dishes but original, well-executed and delicious food I would set out for anyone at my table.
Sweet potatoes in gnocchi?
This may seem strange if you’re only used to making gnocchi with starchy, white potatoes. While I do love white potato gnocchi, these are completely different. Lighter in mouthfeel with a slightly chewier texture, I love the contrast of the sweet potato with the lemon pesto. Since I’ve been making this pesto, I completely skip the cheese and garlic in pesto now. I love how the acidity seems to amplify the freshness of the basil and almonds are used instead of pine nuts. It’s still a comforting bowl of gnocchi. Just fresher and more “modern” and won’t leave you feeling like a nap afterwards.
If you don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty, these sweet potato gnocchi can be very fun to make. Kids definitely love working with dough and mine asks to help as soon as she sees me dusting the counter with flour. For me, this recipe has been a great crowd-pleaser. Everyone has always been slightly surprised by how delicious this was with sweet potato. When I serve this to picky eaters, I don’t even tell them they’re eating mostly vegetables. Everyone just tastes delicious gnocchi. I haven’t tried these with any other sauce, but I imagine this pairing well with sage butter or even just a simple marinara.
A cookbook with something for everyone.
In all of Anna Jones’ cookbooks, you can find something to make whether you have an hour to casually cook or 15 minutes to get something tasty on the table. She includes instructions on how to make things vegan, if needed. Some recipes have only a handful of ingredients while others use up the whole pantry. I love a recipe she has for parsnip, mushroom rösti that cooks up so enticingly savory that you’d swear there’s meat in it. Nothing is super complicated and the results have always been surprisingly delicious. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more recipes inspired from her books here.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Lemon-Almond Pesto
Ingredients
For the Gnocchi
- 12 oz (800) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium dice (3 medium-sized)
- 1 cup (200 g) ricotta cheese
- 2 1/3 cups (300 g) all-purpose or spelt flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp salt, kosher
- parmesan or pecorino cheese, for grating (optional)
For the Pesto
- 2 1/2 cups fresh basil, lightly packed
- 3/4 cup (50 g) almonds, blanched
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
Method
- Place the diced sweet potatoes in a steamer pot with 2-3 inches of water and steam for about 15-20 minutes or until completely soft.
- In the meantime, make the pesto. In a food processor, add the almonds and pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Add the basil, lemon zest and juice. While processing, start pouring in olive oil to make a smooth, loose paste. If pesto is still a little thick, you can add a little water or more oil to loosen.
- Put a large pot of water on the stove to heat. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, drain and allow to steam dry for a few minutes in a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or ricer.
- Fold in ricotta, egg yolk and salt. Add in 3/4 of the flour and stir in. Add more flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time until you have a soft but stiff dough. Leave mixture to rest for 5 minutes.
- On a well-floured work surface, working with a cup of the mixture, roll out dough to thumb-sized, fat logs. Add more flour when rolling, as needed, to prevent sticking. Leave for a couple of minutes to firm up before cutting.
- Cut rolls into 1 inch long pieces with a knife. Set aside on a sheet pan as you roll and cut the remaining dough.
- Cook gnocchi in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes or until gnocchi start to float to the surface. Remove with a strainer and place into a large bowl. Toss with as much or as little of the pesto as you like. Garnish with grated parmesan, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
Pin it for later!
Did you try this recipe? Please tag me @cookbooksonrepeat on Instagram or Facebook if you did! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Our gnocchi was a little gummy for my kids’ taste; I suspect this was user error and not the recipe. The pesto was AMAZING! We ate the extra on bread. Thanks for a super recipe
Hi Marie. It is a slightly different texture from white potato gnocchi but it shouldn’t be gummy. Maybe too much flour or the dough was overworked? I’m so glad you liked the pesto!