Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (2024)

By Mary | 2 Comments

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (1)

FRIDAY! Not just any Friday, but the beginning of THANKSGIVING! We're taking a full 10 days to adequately celebrate with my family in Oregon (for most of it), and I am so. ready. See you soon, Oregon!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (2)

I've been wanting to make sweet potato gnocchi for a while now, as I keep seeing it on pinterest. It seems that every time I see a recipe for sweet potato gnocchi, it's inevitably paired with brown butter sage sauce. Yes, that sounds delicious. But literally everyone is doing it right now. So, halfway through making the gnocchi, I decided to switch it up. The world really does not need another sweet potato gnocchi with brown butter sage sauce recipe on the internet, but it DOES need a sweet potato gnocchi with spinach goat cheese sauce! Not only is this the easiest sauce I have EVER made, but it is really incredibly tasty. Not to mention the hefty amount of spinach you'll get to ingest, all while tasting delicious goat cheese!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (3)

You might remember, if you've been a fan since the very very very beginning, I've made gnocchi once before. On the previous incarnation of TKP, the-blog-which-shall-not-be-named, I made some spinach ricotta gnocchi. It was a bit stringy, and I learned my lesson. This time: soft, fluffy, potato-y pillows! OOOH this stuff is good.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (4)

The key to good gnocchi is to add as little flour as possible, while still being able to handle it. The more flour, the most dense the gnocchi will be. NOT the goal. I actually kept my dough super-sticky, and floured my hands and work surface liberally so I could handle it. The inside was then still super soft, while just the outside had extra flour for handling. It's a tough balance to get, and I'm still learning... but even if you screw it up, this stuff will taste AMAZING.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (5)

As for the sauce, it's really simple. Melt some butter, add some garlic and a few big handfuls of fresh spinach, cook until wilted. Stir in your goat cheese, then blend. PERFECTION. This might be my new go-to pasta sauce (when Derek isn't around. Goat cheese haters gonna hate.).

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (6)

So, next week while you're (hopefully) enjoying some time off for work, make some gnocchi! It is certainly a project, but well worth it. Get the family involved in the shaping (the only really time-consuming part) and it'll go super quick. The family that cooks together... eats together? Happy weekend!

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (7)

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce

  • Author: by Mary
  • Prep Time: 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Ingredients

UnitsScale

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • cup finely grated Gruyere
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • salt & pepper
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1 ½ to 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 5 oz goat cheese (chèvre)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with the olive oil, then place the halved sweet potatoes face-down on the sheet.
  2. Bake for 30 minutes, or until fork-tender. Remove and let cool until you can handle them.
  3. Remove the skins and pass the sweet potatoes through a potato ricer (or mash with a fork).
  4. Mix in the gruyere, egg, ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and the honey.
  5. Add flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough holds together and is not too sticky.
  6. On a well floured surface, roll the dough into thin logs and cut into small pieces. Set on a floured baking sheet. If you aren't going to cook all of them immediately, freeze on the sheet now before packaging in an airtight container.
  7. To cook, bring a salted pot of water to a boil and cook, in batches, for about 5 minutes. Remove and toss with olive oil to keep from sticking to each other.
  8. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then add the spinach. Cook until all of the spinach is wilted, then stir in the goat cheese until melted. Remove from the heat, and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  9. Serve the hot gnocchi with the hot spinach sauce.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Eileen says

    That sauce sounds amazing, especially with sweet & savory gnocchi! NOM. And as I too am the only goat cheese-eater in the house, you knowI get to eat it all myself...

    Reply

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Spinach Goat Cheese Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my sweet potato gnocchi sticky? ›

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.

Which is better potato or ricotta gnocchi? ›

Comparatively speaking, ricotta gnocchi are quicker to prepare (just mix everything together- no potatoes to boil here!) and the texture is light and fluffy, in a unique “spongey” type way. As for the taste, potato gnocchi taste like…. potato, whereas ricotta gnocchi are more mild in flavor.

Why are my ricotta gnocchi mushy? ›

Not draining the ricotta properly will result in sticky dough that requires extra flour, which will make the gnocchi gummy. It should be thick and dense and almost sliceable when properly drained. Mix the ingredients without flour.

Are potato gnocchi chewy? ›

When used in excess, flour leads to chewy gnocchi, which is easily the worst thing that can happen to them — other than falling apart in boiling water. You're looking for a soft and pliable (but not sticky) ball of dough.

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.

Why is my gnocchi falling apart when I cook it? ›

My Gnocchi Are Falling Apart When I Cook Them

This means there isn't enough flour and your dough is too wet. Try adding another 1/4 cup of flour and try again. A good idea is to have a pot of water on the go before you roll out and shape your gnocchi.

Is gnocchi more unhealthy than pasta? ›

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.

Is gnocchi good or bad for you? ›

Similar to pasta, gnocchi is high in carbohydrates and low in protein. Although both are carbohydrate-heavy foods, it has been shown that regular pasta may have less of an effect on blood sugar levels. One publication points to the fact that pasta doesn't raise blood sugar after a meal to the level that potatoes do.

Is gnocchi OK for diabetics? ›

Gnocchi is not just pasta—it's the ultimate comfort food, combining the best of both worlds, pasta and dumplings. However, due to its high carbohydrate content and potential impact of fat on blood sugar levels, dosing insulin for Gnocchi requires thoughtful consideration.

Can you cook gnocchi in sauce instead of water? ›

You know those recipes that require a separate bowl for mixing this and another pot for boiling that? This isn't one of those recipes. The mini gnocchi is cooked right in the saucepan with the sauce, which makes for an ultra fast and easy weeknight dinner, and cleanup is even easier.

Should gnocchi be soft or chewy? ›

Cooked gnocchi should have a light, squidgy texture, and should not be tough and chewy.

Is it better to boil or bake potatoes for gnocchi? ›

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.

What kind of flour do you use for gnocchi? ›

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.

What are the best potatoes for gnocchi? ›

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 gnocchi still sticky? ›

The dough is sticky.

If you have added egg, it might have been over-incorporated. Start over, using a sifter to deliver the flour gradually. Or the weather and humidity might be a factor. Some cooks switch to alternative gnocchi recipes — ricotta instead of potato — in the summer.

What makes gnocchi sticky? ›

Adding too much flour

While too much water will make your gnocchi sticky, the opposite isn't much better; too much flour will make them dense, dry, and flavorless.

What makes sweet potato sticky? ›

Initially, it may be off-putting, but it's actually indicative of a healthy potato and a flavorful meal. FoodsGuy explains that this thick, white, sticky liquid is just a mixture of sugar and water from the sweet potato leaking a bit after getting excited by the prospect of being part of such a delicious meal.

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