Sweet Potato Gnocchi is a simple, homemade comfort food that feels like a special treat. It pairs perfectly with the nutty sage brown butter sauce for a fall meal that’s both cozy and elegant!
Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi is not only fun to make, but incredibly delicious! The sweet potatoes give the gnocchi a natural sweetness, while the buttery sage sauce brings everything together in the most delicious way.
Making homemade gnocchi might sound intimidating, but I promise—it’s much easier than you think! Don’t worry—I’ll walk you through each step with plenty of tips and tricks to help you feel confident in the kitchen. Let’s get started!
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🍠 What You Need to Make Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Sweet Potatoes - Both orange and purple sweet potatoes work well, with purple being starchier and less sweet. For purple sweet potatoes, only use 1 cup of flour for every 1 pound of baked, peeled, and riced purple sweet potatoes. For regular sweet potatoes, use 1 ¼ cup flour for every pound.
- Binders - All-purpose flour and egg are mixed with the sweet potatoes to bind them together to make the pasta dough. Make sure you have extra flour on hand for kneading and shaping.
- Seasonings - Sweet potatoes have quite a bit of flavor so only a pinch of sea salt and nutmeg are used to flavor the dough. The nutmeg adds a bit of warmth to the sweet potatoes without being noticeable, but you can omit it if you like.
- Sauce - This brown butter sage sauce is made from salted butter, fresh sage leaves, with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the finished gnocchi with pecorino romano cheese for the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Other sauces that pair well, are alfredo or simply melted butter and parmesan cheese.
📘 Glossary
If you don't recognize a tool or skill I mentioned, you can look it up in my Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information!
👩🏻🍳 Making Sweet Potato Gnocchi from Scratch
Cook the Potatoes - Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven until soft enough to squeeze gently with a towel or oven mitt. Baking keeps extra moisture out, making the dough easier to knead and shape. Avoid boiling or steaming, which can lead to overly sticky dough.
Rice the Potatoes - Use a food mill or potato ricer for the smoothest texture. Ricing aerates the potatoes and breaks them into fine pieces. BONUS: You don’t need to peel them beforehand!
Knead the Dough - After ricing, weigh the potatoes and add the right amount of egg, salt, and nutmeg. For every pound of baked, peeled, and riced sweet potatoes, use 1 ¼ cups of flour, 1 egg, and a pinch of salt and nutmeg.
Mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it comes together, then knead into a dough. If it’s too sticky, add flour a little at a time.
Shape the Gnocchi - Cut the dough into 4-6 sections. Roll each into a long rope, about 1-2 inches in diameter, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece down a gnocchi board or fork for ridges, or leave them plain.
Boil the Gnocchi - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 1-3 minutes until they float to the top. Drain and set aside.
Make the Sauce and Finish - Melt the butter over medium-low heat until it foams and turns a golden brown. Once browned, add sage leaves and cook for one more minute.
Toss the drained gnocchi in the browned butter sauce with cayenne pepper and pecorino romano cheese. Serve immediately with extra cheese on top, and enjoy!
❤️ My Favorite Potato Ricer
This is the potato ricer I use and it gives gnocchi and mashed potatoes the best smooth texture!
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if you purchase after clicking on it.
🍽️ Recipes to Serve with Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Mains - Sweet potatoes pair well with main dishes like Pork Tenderloin with Apple, Crispy Chicken Cutlets, or White Lasagna.
- Sides - If you want to serve the gnocchi as a main dish, pair it with sides like Green Beans with Shallots and Bacon, Roasted Balsamic Brussels, or Homemade Braided Pesto Bread.
- Desserts - Finish off your meal perfectly with White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Individual Tiramisu Cups, or Homemade Zeppole Donuts.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
If the dough sticks to your hands during kneading or shaping, it likely has too much moisture. Add flour gradually until it’s manageable.
Overcooking can make gnocchi mushy. Fresh gnocchi only needs 1-3 minutes to cook. Once it floats, it’s ready to serve!
๐ Recipe
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- pinch sea salt
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- dash cayenne pepper
- 3 Tablespoons pecorino romano cheese, freshly grated (plus extra for serving)
Instructions
- Bake Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 400˚F. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a sharp knife and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they are fork-tender. (Be careful not to overbake them or they will be too mushy).
- Prepare the Potatoes: Once baked, let the sweet potatoes cool slightly. Cut them into chunks and process them through a potato ricer into a large mixing bowl.
- Make the Dough: Weigh the riced sweet potatoes and then mix in the flour, egg, sea salt, and ground nutmeg (see note below). Knead gently to form a dough, then divide the dough into four equal sections. (Extra flour can be used here or during shaping if the dough is too sticky).
- Shape the Gnocchi: Roll each section into a long rope, about 1 inch in diameter, then cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the pieces down a gnocchi board or fork tines to shape them, then place them on a floured sheet pan.
- Boil the Gnocchi: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook for 1–3 minutes, until they float to the top, then drain. (Gnocchi will get mushy if it’s overcooked, so once they all float, you can drain the water).
- Make Brown Butter Sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until it foams, and then starts to become golden brown Add the sage leaves and cook for about a minute until the butter is a deep golden brown.
- Combine and Serve: Add the cooked gnocchi to the skillet with the butter sauce and sprinkle it with the cayenne. Toss gently to combine, then sprinkle with pecorino romano cheese and serve.
Notes
- Ratio - You need 1 ¼ cup of flour, 1 large egg, and a pinch of salt and nutmeg for each 1 pound of cooked, peeled, and riced sweet potatoes. This is approximately 1 ½ pounds of raw, unpeeled sweet potatoes. For the best dough, weigh the sweet potatoes after baking and ricing to get the appropriate quantities of the other ingredients.
- Sweet Potatoes - Purple sweet potatoes are drier and starchier than regular sweet potatoes. Use only 1 cup of flour per 1 pound of cooked, peeled, and riced potatoes.
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