Sweet Potato Gnocchi with a Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Since I was away majority of October, I feel like I missed out on not only all of the pumpkin flavored food, but also the hype surrounding Halloween. (True story, I didn’t really realize it was Halloween today until midway through the afternoon when I saw a kid in a costume while running an errand). So, safe to say, I am not a big Halloween gal in this stage of my life. That being said, I wanted to celebrate somehow – in addition to contradicting my food beliefs and handing out classic Snickers and M&M like candy to little kids. Obviously, my celebrating turned into creating a new recipe for dinner. Along with my desire to make a dish that featured pumpkin and the color orange, I also have felt this deep anger towards the fact that I haven’t been able to get my hands on any of the Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi since it was released (what feels like years ago). Combining all of these random thoughts I had during my yoga class this morning, it came to me: I was going to make my own god damn gnocchi for dinner and you better believe it was going to be orange! Hello, my favorite vegetable, sweet potato to the rescue. Not only did I feel really freaking important and chef-like while making this dinner, because I hate to admit I’ve never made homemade pasta before (sorry!), but it is also absolutely delicious. Fall flavored, cozy, rib warming, I want to take a nap in this bowl, kind of dinner. I’ll let you see for yourself!
For those who aren’t familiar, gnocchi are small Italian “dumplings” that are traditionally made from color and cooked potato. Once they are rolled and cut into small pieces, they are quickly cooked in boiling water to give them that fluffy “pillow” characteristic. Gnocchi is said to have originated in Northern Italy, where the colder climate was better for growing potatoes than grain, and thought to have come from the word “nocca”, which means knuckles (a word that implies the shape of gnocchi that we know). As there are many different pairings to be made with this dish, every region in Italy has its own variation and specific sauce or serving style. For more information on the history of the dish, check out this post over on dellalo.
Ingredients:
Gnocchi:
Sweet potato (1 large or 2 small)
Cassava flour (1/4 cup)
Olive oil (1 tablespoon)
Salt & pepper
Sauce:
Chicken broth (1 cup)
Coconut milk (1/2 cup)
Pumpkin puree (1/4 cup)
Vegan cheddar cheese spread (2 tablespoons)
Cassava flour (1 tablespoon)
Water (1/2 cup)
Chopped sage (1 teaspoon)
Salt & pepper
Other:
Arugula (3 cups)
Hazelnuts (1/4 cup)
Ghee (1 tablespoon)
Directions:
Peel the sweet potato and cook it so that it can be mashed; I prefer to do this in my instant pot (on steam for 15 minutes) or you can place it, chopped, in a pot of boiling water until tender
Mash the sweet potato and set aside
Pour all of the sauce ingredients listed above, except the cassava flour, into a pot on low heat for ~5 minutes
Once the liquids are combined and thinned a bit, whisk in the flour
Continue to whisk the flour in the sauce until it is well combined and thickened
Combine 1 cup of mashed sweet potatoes with ¼ cup of cassava flour, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt & pepper until it forms a dough
On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough into logs with about ½ inch diameter
Cut the logs into 1inch long pieces to form the gnocchi
Optional: press down on the gnocchi with a fork to make them a bit thinner
Bring a pot of water to boil and place the gnocchi in for ~4 minutes, or until they begin to rise to the top
Remove the gnocchi and place them on a hot skillet with 1 tablespoon of ghee
Sear each side for ~5-10 minutes, continuously flipping until they have a nice crisp
Add the sauce and arugula into the hot pan with the gnocchi and stir until it is coated and the arugula is wilted
Place the gnocchi mixture in a bowl and top with chopped hazelnuts
Allergen Information:
Gluten free
Dairy free
Grain free
Vegan
Paleo
Whole30