Oh . . . and parm.
I have a problem with gnocchi.
Don’t get me wrong—I love it. It’s delicious. Tiny feathery pillows of potato rolled in sage brown butter? Every bite is rich and decadent . . .
And that’s just the problem. After a few bites, it starts to become too rich and decadent. I could never finish an entire plate without risking a massive stomachache later on . . . or falling asleep at the table.
I know—I can already hear all the Italians out there screaming: Gnocchi isn’t supposed to be eaten in large quantities! It’s a primi, an appetizer!
I hear you. I get it. But when I’m cooking weeknight dinners, I don’t have time for any type of appetizer, let alone homemade potato dumplings. If I want to eat gnocchi at all, I need to figure out how to make it the star of my dinner—without the subsequent food coma.
So I created this weeknight Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Rather than relying on a buttery or creamy sauce for flavor, I infused flavor into the gnocchi itself by swapping out the plain potato for sweet potato, adding parmesan and black pepper, and searing the boiled gnocchi in a skillet so it gets deliciously caramelized and crispy. I also bulked up the dish with a ton of sauteed kale. Besides being a great healthy add-in, the kale brings great umami that plays well with the salty parmesan and balances the natural sweetness of the gnocchi.
Soft, creamy nuggets of sweet potato, laced with parmesan, spiked with black pepper, and tossed in a bed of kale. It’s rich and delicious, but balanced and perfect to enjoy any night of the week!
Enjoy!
Weeknight Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Cacio e Pepe Kale
(Makes about 54 gnocchi; finished recipe serves 2-3)
For the sweet potato gnocchi:
2 large sweet potatoes (1 pound, 456 grams cooked, mashed)
Generous 2/3 cup ricotta cheese (6 oz, 170 grams)
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 oz, 28 grams)
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (6.6 oz, 187. 5 grams) plus extra for dusting
For the gnocchi with cacio e pepe kale:
18 uncooked sweet potato gnocchi
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large bunch kale, destemmed, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
½ cup shredded Parmesan, plus more toe taste to taste
Method
For the sweet potato gnocchi:
Cut four long slashes into the sweet potatoes with the tip of a paring knife. Microwave until cooked through (a fork should slide in easily), about 10 minutes. Remove, slice in half to release heat, and set aside until cool to the touch. Peel and mash sweet potato, and transfer about 2 cups (1 pound) of mashed sweet potato to a large bowl.
Add ricotta, Parmesan, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to sweet potato and mix just until combined (a spatula works well for this). Fold in flour, ½ cup at a time, until a dough forms. It will be sticky to the touch.
Lightly flour your counter top (or whatever you’re using for a work surface). Divide the gnocchi dough into four equal pieces and roll out each piece on the floured surface until it becomes a snake about ½ inch thick. Cut into pieces about 3/4 inch long and roll over the back of a fork to flatten out slightly (and also get some of those classic divots!) Rest shaped gnocchi on a floured baking sheet.
Note: this recipe makes about 54 gnocchi—enough for you to make the following kale recipe 3 times. If you’re not serving 6 people, you might want to consider freezing the rest of it! Just pop the shaped gnocchi in the freezer until solid, then seal them in an airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use them, thaw in the refrigerator fully before cooking them according to the instructions below. Alternatively, you can cook them right away.
For the gnocchi with cacio e pepe kale:
To cook gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add 18 gnocchi and cook until they float, about 3-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and continue with remaining gnocchi.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add gnocchi and cook until golden brown on all sides, tossing occasionally, about 5 minutes. (You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan. You don’t want to crowd the gnocchi too much, or they won’t brown). Remove and wipe out the pan.
Heat remaining oil in the pan over medium heat until shimmering, then add kale, kosher salt, and black pepper, and sauté just until softened. Add browned gnocchi and toss gently to combine and ensure it’s all heated through. Remove from heat and toss in shredded Parm. Top with more Parmesan and cracked pepper to taste and serve.
Originally posted October 13, 2021.
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