Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Lemon-Almond Pesto
A delicious, light gnocchi made from sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. Tossed with a vibrant green, lemon-almond pesto. Better for you but still oh-so-good!
Yield: 6
Materials
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
Instructions
- 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
-leftover dough will hold in the refrigerator for up to two days, well wrapped
-pesto recipe makes about 1-1/4 cups
Recipe adapted from A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones.
Published 2015 by Ten Speed Press.