Sweet Potato Gnocchi is about to happen in your life. Get ready.
This recipe is sponsored by ANDY BOY
I started a dinner club a few years ago (gah! seriously feels like yesterday 👵🏼) and for this dinner club, every month, 6 friends + my happy self get together for a night of wine, appetizers, and amazing homemade food. We’re talking the type of food that we all maybe wouldn’t normally make for our families or for our regular weeknight selves, but that can be fully embraced and appreciated when we are with our foodie friends.
Example: gnocchi.
About a year ago, I learned the basics of making gnocchi at a blog related event, and I came home and said: listen up, dinner club -> we need to make gnocchi together.
I am not exaggerating when I say that our gnocchi night from last year is STILL the talk of our dinner club. It will never ever be topped, unless it’s topped by another gnocchi night, which is likely to happen before the end of the year. There were platters upon platters of that pillowy potato gnocchi, and simmering pots of tangy bolognese and creamy marsala mushroom and zippy pesto sauces that still live right at the surface of our food dreams. It was a girls’ night gnocchi event that bordered on otherworldly.
So. Today’s post is exciting for three reasons:
- Comforting, wintery, love-yourself-GNOCCHI.
- Superfood vegetables tasting ahhmazing (hello sweet potato and broccoli rabe).
- Weeknight ease.
Do you believe me? Look here. 👇🏼
As with most recipes that I make, I like them to be NOT OVERWHELMING.
With the fancy gnocchi night, I boiled, dried, rested, cooled, and riced the potatoes before mixing. That was a different time.
This time we are literally just baking in the microwave. Okay? Can you get on board with me here? Just bake that little sweet potater in your micro for speed and ease, mix it with the ricotta, Parm, and flour, and form into cute little gnocchi. Boil them till they float, and voila. Gnocchi.
These gnocchi are sturdy enough to stand up to the sage-garlic-butter-pan-frying situation that follows, which is exactly what I wanted them to be: golden and crispy on the outside, and soft and loverly on the inside.
To avoid getting overly sweet (and to throw some powerhouse nutrition in the mix), we are serving this up with broccoli rabe – blanched to tender-crisp perfection before getting tossed in to the magic of that saute pan.
In addition to being a SUPER HEALTHY power ingredient, I loved using broccoli rabe with this because it was kind of like a textural cross between broccoli and spinach. You have the leaves of the broccoli rabe which cook super nicely similar to spinach, and you have the beautiful, barely-crunchy florets that are small enough not to overwhelm the dish.
Besides, the colors.
You NEED those bold colors working together in your recipe life.
Do we love gnocchi or do we love gnocchi?
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Broccoli Rabe and Garlic Sage Butter Sauce
Prep Time: 20 mins- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Sweet Potato Gnocchi! The easiest and best way to make Sweet Potato Gnocchi! Serve it with broccoli rabe and garlic sage butter sauce for a BOMB meal.
Ingredients
Gnocchi:
- One 1-lb sweet potato
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 cup flour (more for dusting)
Sauce and Other Ingredients:
- 5 cups finely chopped Andy Boy broccoli rabe (stems, leaves, and florets)
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic
- 5-6 sage leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- For the gnocchi: Stick the sweet potato a few times with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave until soft, about 7 minutes. (You can also bake the sweet potato in the oven, which will take closer to an hour.)
- Scoop the flesh of the sweet potato into a mixing bowl. Discard the skin. Mix the ricotta, parmesan, and salt until well combined and almost completely smooth. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading very gently after each addition (don’t over knead it – you don’t want it to get tough).
- Eventually, as the dough becomes easier to handle, transfer it to a clean floured work surface and form it into a loaf, about 9×5 inches. Cut a slice off of the loaf on the short side (think of it as if it were a loaf of banana bread and you were going to cut a slice to eat). Roll and stretch the slice on a floured surface until it forms a long, skinny rope-like shape. Cut the rope into 1-inch segments and transfer to a bowl: this is your gnocchi.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the gnocchi, and boil until the gnocchi rise to the top of the water. Drain and toss gently with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. At this point you can make the rest of the recipe with the gnocchi, refrigerate the gnocchi to finish them later, or freeze them.
- For the Broccoli Rabe: Bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare a bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain and transfer to the ice water to cool and stop the broccoli rabe from cooking further. Drain again and set aside.
- Putting it all together: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat until lightly bubbling and foaming. Add the gnocchi and pan-fry until golden brown on the outside (you may have to do this in batches). Once the gnocchi is done, add the broccoli rabe, garlic, sage, and salt and pan-fry for another few minutes (again, working in batches). Remove from heat and let cool slightly so the butter thickens just a little. Add the cream to the pan along with the Parmesan cheese – toss gently a few times to combine (the sauce should coat the gnocchi and broccoli rabe very lightly) and serve immediately with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice if you want.
Thank you to Andy Boy for sponsoring this post!
MORE TASTY SWEET POTATO RECIPES:
Sweet Potato Casserole
Summer Bliss Bowls with Sweet Potato Falafel
Healing Bowls with Turmeric Sweet Potatoes
Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodle Salad
Hi Lindsay, would you recommend freezing the gnocchi cooked or uncooked?
We’d recommend freezing it cooked, but before sauteing it in the brown butter.
Thanks Jenna! I’ve tried it and it worked perfectly 🙂
Glad to hear it!
This dish was amazing!! Should the sage and garlic be left whole?
Garlic should be minced, sage can be whole or roughly chopped!
This recipe was delicious! It reminded me of a dish at one of my favorite restaurants and even my meat eating husband loved it. Thanks for the recipe!!!
★★★★★
Glad to hear it, Elizabeth!
I made this tonight and it is AMAZING. I didn’t have broccoli rabe at home, so I used kale. I think this is honestly the best thing that I’ve ever put in my mouth . THANK YOU
Ahh! My gnocchi pillows turned into mush after i drained them – I’m devastated…!! Is it possible to over boil them..?? I didn’t think that I did though…or maybe not enough flour? Help!
ohhhhhh my. that sweet potato gnocchi is to die for. i’d eat it every day if i could (it’s the good kind of carbs, right?!) i loved making this and devouring the gnocchi. unfortunately, i may have gotten a bad batch of broccoli rabe – it was so bitter i couldn’t eat it (and generally i’m a fan of bitter… brussel sprouts lover here). but i want to make this over and over and over.
★★★★★
Hi there, this looks delicious but I cannot eat cheese – what would you substitute the ricotta for in the gnocchi? Thank you!
Hi, instead of using microwave or bake the sweet potato, what else can be done? 😐 Don’t have either of them… Also can we use vegan parmesan cheese in this…thank you 💟
Hi Ankita! Do you have a stove? If so, I’d try boiling them for about 10-12 minutes until tender. For the cheese, we don’t have a lot of experience with vegan cheese but think it’s worth a try!
I made this last night for NYE and it was absolutely divine! The only substitution I made was broccolini for broccoli rabe (it’s what my grocery store had on hand) and it was perfect. This meal was so rich and decadent—definitely a meal for a dinner party or date night.
The only issue I ran into was when sautéing the gnocchi in the butter—they really broke up easily when I tried to flip or rotate them and stuck to the pan very easily (didn’t have a non-stick on hand, but though the butter would prevent it). However, this did not compromise the taste one bit, just didn’t look as perfect when plated. Thanks for a great (and a sure-to-impress) recipe!
★★★★★
Looks great but what other herb could you substitute for sage. I want to make this with my mom but she’s not a fan…
Hmm maybe some parsley or thyme!
What meat would you use in this?
I’ve served this along steak before and it’s a great combo! I think roasted chicken would work as well.
What kind of parmesan did you use? (Shredded, ground, etc)
We’d recommend grated!
Could you share the fussy version of the recipe where you riced the potatoes beforehand? I got a ricer (among other fun kitchen gadgets) for Christmas and want to use it! Thanks for this great post. I feel like I need to make a supper club now 🙂
I can’t wait to try this for my blizzard food. This looks incredible!
I made this and would recommend more flour to stiffen the dough and perhaps the addition of an egg!
Mine fell apart while frying. I should have had the pan hotter to sere them. Also I added way more cream and cheese and served over pasta. I would made it again
★★★
This looks fantastic! I definitely want to try making this for dinner! I was wondering how long it takes (when do I need to start for it to be ready by 6pm)? Thanks!
Hi Emeline! Making and cutting the dough for this can be a little time-intensive, especially depending on your experience level. I’d start with giving yourself about 1.5 hours if it’s your first time. After the gnocchi is boiled, you can always let it hang out until you’re ready to saute with the butter. 🙂
I was looking forward to this recipe. I followed the instructions but gnocchi was all sticky and I couldn’t figure out what went wrong. My only theory is maybe I should have let the sweet potato cool off (it was steaming when I put SP in the bowl) before mixing everything?
That could definitely be it! I’d also make sure that your heat is pretty high when you add the sweet potato to the pan – you need a good sear to avoid it falling apart.
Looks amazing. My last attempt st making gnocchi was a disaster so hoping this one will work! But is it meant to say 11 lbs of sweet potato? Sondering If it’s just the format on my screen – Sounds like a lot..?
Hi Cecilia! That’s actually one 1-lb sweet potato. Hope you enjoy!
made this last night with kale and it was dynamo! just the sort of feel-good-delicious-comfort-food that my body was craving after a day of marching along side my sisters. thank you for this delicious recipe. sending lots of vibes to you and bjork for love, peace and healing.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it, Jess!
If I do freeze the gnocchi, do I thaw them before pan frying? I don’t want them to be “gummy.”
Thank you!
Hi Julie! We usually freeze them before pan-frying.
Jenna, I froze half the gnocchi after boiling them. Do the frozen gnocchi go straight from the freezer into the pan to fry? Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi Jane! We would thaw them in the fridge overnight to soften them up again first. 🙂
Made this tonight. The gnocchi never seared…stuck to the pan and never got light and fluffy- more doughy and heavy. Any ideas of how to improve or what I might have done wrong? Do the gnocchi need to drain for a long time? They seemed pretty soggy. Maybe it’s because I had to add extra flour to the dough (it was too sticky with just 1 1/4 C)? Thanks for your thoughts! I wan to try it again- I know I’ll love it if I get it right:)
Hi Nora! Did you toss the cooked gnocchi with some olive oil while it was waiting to sear? I’d also make sure your heat is really high before you put them in the pan, and make sure the gnocchi aren’t touching each other too much.
Maybe I offended the gnocchi gods in a previous life but the ratios never work for me the way it says. I had to put in over 3 cups of flour to make the dough cut able, which made them a bit insipid. On the up side my fussy kids loved it, my daughter telling me it tasted ‘like heaven’.
This looks amazing first if all, but how long does it take to make. Would love to make it tonight….
This looks so tasty! Hoping to make tonight. Approximately how many cups of cooked sweet potato is used?
Hi Michelle! It’s hard to know without cooking/measuring it in cups, but we’d guess it to be about 1 cup.
Hi Lindsay. I love your recipes! Should be Taste of SUPER Yum. I also love the bowl the sweet potato gnocchi is in and have been looking for bowls like that for some time. Can you give me the brand or where you got them, or where I might find similar bowls if there is no brand (ie. a local ceramist and/or only sold locally). Thank you.
★★★★★
Hi Susan! The bowl is actually made by Lindsay’s father-in-law. You can check out his online shop here: http://www.larryostrompottery.com/
Just saw your recipe for an Asian stir-fry that has a
sauce with 2 kinds of soy sauce (Pearl Bridge) on
Instagram. I ordered the soy sauce from Amazon
and I can’t find the recipe. Could you send me
the title of the recipe? Had it and then lost it!
Thanks in advance.
Hi Judy! Here it is: https://pinchofyum.com/lo-mein