Learn how to make sweet potato gnocchi with this easy recipe. You only need 5-ingredients to make them! Dressed up with a brown butter sage sauce that’s packed with flavor.
Can’t get enough gnocchi recipes? Be sure to try my Gnocchi with Blue Cheese and Frizzled Prosciutto, Cheesy Baked Gnocchi with Pumpkin & Kale and Easy Homemade Potato Gnocchi. Plus, try out these 15+ EASY Sauces for Gnocchi.
Lately, I’ve been playing around with lots of new recipes. In particular, recipes that require minimal ingredients. Recipes that can be made from pantry staples. And recipes that freeze easily.
This homemade sweet potato gnocchi is just that.
Plus, there’s the added benefit that making gnocchi is basically like playing with play doh. Which means it’s a great recipe for making with the kiddos. But even if you don’t have kids, it’s fun for adults too!
I’m thinking a big gnocchi pasta making party is definitely in order. Grab some wine, grab your friends, and get rolling.
🍠 What are sweet potato gnocchi?
- Sweet potato gnocchi are an Italian homemade pasta shaped like a dumpling. The standard recipe combines sweet potato, ricotta, egg, and flour.
🍝 Is gnocchi a pasta or a potato?
Gnocchi is a pillow-y pasta made from potatoes. It’s a bit like a cross between a dumpling and pasta.
📋 How to prep the potatoes
You can either steam the potatoes in the microwave or roast them in the oven.
- To Microwave: Wrap the sweet potatoes in wet paper towels and place on a microwave safe plate. Cook for 5 minutes, per side, 20 minutes total, or until tender, and can be pierced easily with a paring knife. Cut in half and allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours.
- To Bake: Roast the potatoes in a 400-degree oven for about 1 hour.
✔️ What flour is best for gnocchi?
I used standard white, all-purpose flour for this recipe. However, if you would like to make gluten-free sweet potato gnocchi, you can substitute a combination of almond flour and arrowroot flour.
👩🍳 How to make them
- Bake or microwave the sweet potatoes until tender.
- Let cool completely.
- Combine sweet potato flesh with ricotta, parmesan, egg and salt until smooth.
- Add flour and knead gently until the dough is smooth.
- Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and cut into pieces.
My best tip for making the lightest, most pillow-y gnocchi is to be sure to not overwork your dough. Combine the ingredients until they just come together. It should only take a couple minutes to knead the dough into a mass.
There is the option of using a gnocchi board or fork to press grooves into each piece of gnocchi. It’s said that the ridges help sauces adhere to the gnocchi, but I’ve found that the sauce coats the gnocchi really well without this additional step.
At this point, you can either cook the gnocchi right away, store them in the refrigerator for up to two days, or freeze them.
🕛 How to Cook Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Boiled Gnocchi
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add gnocchi and cook until they begin to float (meaning they are done). It should take about 90 seconds. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon.
Pan-Seared Gnocchi
- Boil the gnocchi following the steps above.
- Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Arrange the gnocchi in the skillet in a single layer (work in batches if needed).
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the gnocchi are lightly browned and crispy.
🥣 Sweet potato gnocchi sauce
I made a browned butter sage sauce for my gnocchi. To do this, simply melt butter in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter solids turn golden brown, swirling the pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat, swirl in some chopped sage, and toss it with the gnocchi.
Or, try one of these sauce for sweet potato gnocchi options:
- Pesto. I like this Arugula Pesto, Kale Pesto and this yummy, creamy Broccoli Pesto.
- Tomato Sauce. I’m obsessed with my Nana’s Meat Sauce recipe and this Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce. Or give this easy 30 minute marinara sauce recipe a try.
- White Sauce. Serve them in the style of these Gnocchi with Blue Cheese & Frizzled Prosciutto, or toss them with Alfredo Sauce.
- With a bit of butter, parmesan and fresh chopped parsley.
- MORE —> 15+ EASY Sauces for Gnocchi.
ℹ️ Gnocchi FAQs
Gnocchi can be made up to two days in advance, stored in the refrigerator, and covered so that they don’t absorb any odors from the fridge.
Gnocchi can be frozen for up to three months. To freeze fresh gnocchi without them sticking together, place them in the freezer spread out on baking sheets. Once they are frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. You can cook the gnocchi right from frozen in boiling water. Don’t let them thaw before cooking them.
It’s not necessary to boil the gnocchi before pan frying. However, by boiling them first, you will guarantee that they are fully cooked throughout.
If your gnocchi are mushy, they were probably boiled for too long. To ensure that you don’t overcook them, remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon as they float to the top of the pot. Once they float, they are fully cooked.
Nutritionally speaking, gnocchi and pasta very similar. While gnocchi is made with potatoes, and pasta is made with wheat, they are both high in carbohydrates, and low in protein.
🍷 Wine pairings
- A light-red wine works well. Try a Grenache, Gamay or Barbera d’Alba.
- Gewürztraminer and Riesling are great white wine pairings.
🍽 What to serve with sweet potato gnocchi
- Arugula Salad
- Apple Slaw with Celery Root
- Shaved Fennel and Celery Salad
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- Grilled Broccolini with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- MORE —> 35+ amazing sides for gnocchi.
🍝 More pasta recipes
- Cheesy Brussel Sprout Pasta with Grainy Mustard
- Pasta Alla Vodka
- Roasted Fennel Pasta with Ricotta
- Pea & Bacon Pasta
- Easy Lemon Pasta
- Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp & Cherry Tomatoes
- 30-Minute BLT Pasta
Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (pierced all over with a fork)
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 ½ – 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Browned Butter Sage Sauce:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks )
- 5 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage (plus whole leaves for garnish)
- Fresh grated parmesan (for serving)
Instructions
- Wrap the sweet potatoes in wet paper towels and place on a microwave safe plate. Cook for 5 minutes, per side, 20 minutes total, or until tender, and can be pierced easily with a paring knife. Cut in half and allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours.
- Alternatively, you can bake the potatoes in a 400-degree oven for about 1 hour.
- Scoop the sweet potato flesh into a bowl and mash. Transfer 3 cups of the sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, parmesan, egg, and salt until well combined and almost completely smooth. Then, add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, gently kneading after each addition. Work the dough until it’s just smooth, being careful not to overwork it, or it will become tough.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a 24″-long rope about ½” thick. Cut into ½” pieces, dust with flour, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper..
- Optional: using a gnocchi board or fork, press grooves into each piece of gnocchi.
- At this point, the gnocchi can be stored in the fridge for 3 days, the freezer for up to a month, or cooked right away.
To cook the gnocchi:
- Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil, set aside.
- Working in batches, add gnocchi to boiling, salted water; cook until gnocchi are tender and float to surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Melt butter in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are golden brown, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add chopped sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the sage butter and half of the gnocchi. Saute until gnocchi are turning golden and crisping up, 5-6 minutes. Empty skillet onto a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while you repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
- Serve gnocchi in bowls drizzled with browned butter sage sauce. Garnish with additional sage leaves and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Equipment
Next time I’ll make a double batch! The extra frozen gnocchi make a wonderful, fast weeknight meal!
I’m so happy you liked them!
I’m not really experienced with cooking, so it’s probably not a great recipe to attempt, but I want to anyway. I was wondering though, it says to use a baking sheet and preheat the oven, but I never see any instructions about actually putting the stuff in the oven…is that just to keep it warm while you’re cooking all the gnocchi? I’d appreciate any help someone could give. Thanks!
Hi Richard – Sorry for the confusion! You’ll see in step 5 of the cooking process, that the boiled gnocchi will go into the oven, just to keep them warm as the others boil. Does that clarify things? 🙂
Is there a way to make this diary free?
Hi Sabrina – My friend Brita has a great recipe for vegan sweet potato gnocchi!