Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I know it's not really sweet potato season, but I had a class the other night and we got to talking about my teaching a gnocchi class.  Potato gnocchi is yummy, but sweet potato gnocchi will have you breaking up with that old spud in favor of this delicious substitute.

The other change is that I don't like to boil my gnocchi; I pan fry it in a little olive oil or coconut oil.  It creates a lovely,crispy brown shell around the pillowy sweet potato.  As long as I'm breaking the rules, I also like serving it with a light coconut curry sauce.  I'm not really a big fan of tomato-based sauces, though I make a mean marinara and an even meaner pizza sauce.  I gravitate toward cream sauces, but since they can be a "middle killer", I try to find ways to lighten them up.  "Don't trust a skinny chef" only works with restaurant dining, when you want to splurge and don't care about the consequences of one night out.  If you're trying to be healthy, then you should probably go for a chef with a little less meat on her bones!

If you've never tried gnocchi before, don't be intimidated.  It's easy, albeit a little messy.  I haven't taught a gnocchi class in nearly a year, because after the last one, I was finding little reminders of the class for months (gnocchi dough is a sticky little bugger).  But if you aren't making it with 8 other people, you should be fine!

First bake the potatoes and when cool enough to handle, mash the flesh in a bowl with ricotta, garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Slowly add flour until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Create the little dough balls (see the recipe below) and press the tines of a fork into one side.  When all are ready, place them in a single layer in a hot skillet coated with olive oil (coconut oil is yummy, too, if you have it).  Only takes about 5 minutes.  The perfect amount of time to make your sauce (recipe below).  Oh yeah, and it's a no-cook sauce.  Got to love that on a hot night!

When gnocchi are perfectly browned, plate and top with sauce (go ahead and use marinara, but you'll be missing out on this tasty combo with my coconut sauce....trust me, remember?). Garnish with sliced scallions.....so pretty. So yummy.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Serves 6-8

2 pounds sweet potatoes

2/3 cup whole milk ricotta

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

·         Preheat the oven to 425°

·         Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake until tender and fully cooked, 40- 55 minutes.

·          Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes.

·         Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic and pepper, blending until well mixed.

·         Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

·         Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope.

·         Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi. 

• Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.   When oil is hot, add gnocchi in a single layer, working in batches, turning to crisp each side, approximately 5 minutes total.

Coconut Curry Sauce

½  cup coconut milk

½  teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½  teaspoon turmeric

pinch cayenne

3 tablespoon lime juice

3 scallions, greens only, thinly sliced or ¼ cup chopped chives

Whisk all ingredients, except scallions, in a bowl.  When gnocchi is ready to serve, toss with coconut curry sauce and top with scallions.