Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

What should you not do when making gnocchi? ›

Don't overwork the dough: When making gnocchi dough, it's important not to overwork it. Overworking the dough can make the gnocchi tough and chewy. Mix the ingredients together just until the dough comes together, and then stop mixing! You're not kneading bread here.

If dough is too sticky, add more flour and knead it in. I like to knead my gnocchi dough until it is fairly stiff — this part is up to you. I prefer a somewhat toothsome gnocchi, but if you want yours to be lighter in texture, knead just until your dough resembles pizza dough.

Gnocchi can disintegrate for a few reasons. You might not have added enough flour or egg, or you may have overboiled them.

Too much flour and gnocchi turns to doughy undercooked lumps. Bottom line is you add enough flour to bring the egg and potato together into a dough and no more.

Italian flour

Plus, it has too much protein: High-protein wheat results in chewy gnocchi. If you want to be true to Italian gnocchi, look for imported Italian flour marked "00 tenero," which is milled from soft wheat with a low protein content.

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

Tip: don't over-knead the dough. Over-kneading will develop the gluten in the flour, making the sweet potato gnocchi overly chewy and tough.

What does Sweet Potato Gnocchi taste like? Gnocchi is often made with potatoes and tastes the same. But when you use sweet potatoes in the recipe then gnocchi turns out a little sweet. They don't have an empowering sweet flavor but have a little sweet after taste.

If you prefer a lighter meal, serve the gnocchi alongside a fall-inspired salad like Beet Salad Recipe or Apple Walnut Salad. Chicken. Add some protein to your dinner with Baked Chicken Breast or Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.

Yukon Gold Potatoes are THE BEST potatoes for homemade gnocchi. They're dense, creamy, semi-waxy and do not retain too much moisture (if you love Yukon's for mashed potatoes, they make exquisite gnocchi).

Why is my homemade gnocchi chewy? ›

Chewy gnocchi are the result of too much flour and over kneading the dough. It's important to knead the dough just until it comes together into a smooth ball and no more. This is because you don't want to encourage too much gluten development which makes them tough, chewy and rubbery.

Think crisp and golden-brown—not waterlogged and gummy.

However, you don't want to rush the gnocchi-making process; the shaped gnocchi needs time to rest before you throw it in a pot of water. Granted, this final resting step may seem like an unnecessary detour to your dinner. However, it's actually crucial for preserving its final shape and texture.

How to prepare gnocchi. Poach gnocchi in batches in a pan of lightly salted water for 2-4 minutes. Cooked gnocchi will float to the top. Strain and serve immediately with a good pasta sauce.

The secret to the lightest, most tender potato gnocchi is to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. A baked potato is dryer than one that has been boiled, which means you avoid having to add more flour to the dough to account for excess moisture, a practice that leads to over-kneaded, tough gnocchi.

Test the Gnocchi:

Right after making your dough, cut off a small, bite-size piece of gnocchi, roll it over a gnocchi board if you wish, and boil it until tender. If it stays together, it's good to go! If it disintegrates, you need more flour.

Potatoes have a lot of starch and by mashing them instead of ricing them, it it is harder to incorporate all of the other ingredients without overmixing. Overmixing is another cause of tough gnocchi.

Can I overwork gnocchi dough? Yes, gnocchi dough can be overworked by too much handling. Over-kneading the dough may result in creating too much gluten. This can lead to gnocchi that has a more chewy, rubbery texture.