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Sweeet Potato Gnocchi with Walnut Cream Sauce

A wonderful Autumn meal of tender flavourful sweet potato gnocchi, basking in a just rich enough walnut rosemary cream sauce. Just add cheese, and wine!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, North American
Keyword garlic, parmesan cheese, rosemary, sweet potato, walnuts, whipped cream
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

Gnocchi

  • 1 lb U.S. grown sweet potato, about 450 grams
  • 1 cup whole ricotta or smooth cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1 1/4 cup flour plus more for the dusting, can substitute cup for cup gluten free flour blend

Walnut Cream Sauce

  • 2 1/4 cups whole California Walnuts
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • salt
  • coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese

Instructions

Gnocchi

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F
  2. Pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork, and wrap in foil.
  3. Bake in the oven till completely tender, about 1 hour. Alternatively you can use a microwave if you have one.

  4. Scoop the flesh out of the sweet potato and place it in a large bowl. Add the ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper and blend till almost smooth. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, incorporating it gently before adding the next amount. Do not over-knead, this will cause the final gnocchi to be tough. Using your fingers instead of your full hand or a wooden spoon will help.

  5. Place a baking sheet covered with a thin layer of semolina flour or cornmeal on it nearby.
  6. Transfer the dough to a floured counter once the dough is holding together nicely. Pat it together to form a log of sorts.
  7. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut off a 1 inch section. Place this in front of you and use your palms to roll it out into a long rope. The diameter should be around 3/4 inch.
  8. Take a knife and cut little squares about 3/4-1 inch long. From here you can transfer the little cubes directly onto the prepared baking sheet. Or you can roll the cubes over the tines of a fork or over a gnocchi board. The ridges will help hang on to sauce once boiled, but they are not absolutely necessary for a successful gnocchi experience!
  9. Place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water in batches to avoid overcrowding and let them simmer till they rise to the top of the water. Once they are there, use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl or plate and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together. Continue until you have cooked the amount of gnocchi you want to eat.
  10. Reserve 1/2 cup of the gnocchi water.

Walnut Cream Sauce

  1. Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet in a 400F oven till fragrant and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Cool and chop coarsely. Set aside. This can be done in advance.
  2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and cook the garlic over medium heat till aromatic and just taking on a colour. Add the chopped nuts, cream and rosemary. Reduce the heat to low and cook till the cream thickens, about 4-5 minutes.
  3. Push the walnuts and garlic to the edges of the skillet and add in the gnocchi to the centre of the pan. Allow them to warm through in the cream sauce and take on a bit of crispness on their exterior. Add gnocchi water to help the sauce from becoming too thick and cloying. Season with more salt and pepper as desired.
  4. Serve, with a copious amount of grated cheese on top!

Recipe Notes

Toast the walnuts in advance, even the day before, chop and store in a sealed container.

Feel free to halve the recipe to feed four. Or you can make the entire batch of gnocchi and freeze what you don't need.

To freeze: Take the gnocchi from the semolina dusted baking sheet and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place this in a freezer. Once frozen, transfer the gnocchi to a freezer bag.