Sweet Potato Gnocchi (gluten and dairy free)

Tis the season for sweet potatoes. They are on sale at your local market. You can buy them jumbo, small, organic, or conventional. Most all are on sale this month for the big day in two weeks...yes, Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. Let's just say, I have been known to stock pile sweet potatoes in November. They are just so loving and beautiful. I mean...it's a vegetable...and it's sweet too. Well, without shame I have bought many pounds again this season and have a few sweet potato recipes up my sleeve. This one is more than perfect for a cold fall evening at home.

Homemade gnocchi is a favorite comfort food around here. A family favorite for sure. I even call my son my gnocchi, translation: potato dumpling. And, my husband says kind things about my cooking and baking most days of the week. But this dish....it gets an extra whomping of compliments. And that of course makes me want to make it again and again. For my man. But also because it is so darn delicious. And it makes me feel like I am some kinda Italian momma with a special ingredient to never be shared outside "the family". And yet, here I share it with you ;)

Pretty simple too. Only a few ingredients. And I have a few step by step pics to help you out too. So roll up your sleeves and get your apron on...this one's gunna get your hands and counters dirty!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe

{gluten and dairy free}

2 cups of baked sweet potato mash

3 farm fresh eggs

1 1/2 cup (plus another 1/2 cup for dusting and cutting, so 2 cups total) of all purpose GF flour*

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

1 ts. of sea salt

1 ts. of garlic powder

1/2 ts. of black pepper

1 ts. of Italian herb seasoning (or 1 TB of fresh chopped sage)

*Flour notes:

I used a favorite Namaste brand- bought from Costco on a special 5lb bag for 9 dollars deal. BARGAIN! Super easy to have around if you need a GF flour to fall back on or even just get special for the holiday treats and baking going to happen this season. Go check it out if you are a Costco member like me. 

If you don't have a favorite all-purpose GF flour on hand, then mix up 2 cups of flour using: 

2/3 cup of each 

brown rice flour 

potato or tapioca starch

and then lastly either millet or sorghum flour 

That mix should just about do it perfectly for this recipe.

First step: Bake 1 jumbo or 2-3 small sweet potatoes in the oven, wrapped in foil, at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 90 minutes to get super soft and buttery. Then, let it cool to almost room temperature and cut and scoop out the sweet potato insides to add to a large mixing bowl.

Second step: Add all of the above recipe ingredients. Only 1 1/2 cup of the flour and save 1/2 cup of flour for your cutting board.

Here is the picture of my super big bag of Namaste GF flour from Costco. I like having it around for recipes just like this one. Or as a sub for most "normal" recipes that call for all-purpose flour.

Step three: Take a wood spoon and mix all the ingredients together, but not too well as to make it too soft. Then cover a counter top with a large piece of parchment, dust the paper with 1/2 cup flour and plop out the dough and pat down into a large square or oval. Then cut into 4 close to equal parts.

Step four: Take each section and roll out the corner of dough into a large log. Like 12- 15 inches long and 1 inch thick. Take a pastry knife or clean blade knife and cut 1 inch thick pillows from your dough log. Then roll with a gnocchi paddle or a fork can work too. Or just forget it being "fancy" and go all rustic and messy look.

Each piece should be separated and ready for dropping into a pot of boiling salted waters.

Step five: Boil a large pan or pot of sea salted water and drop the dough pillow or logs into the boiling water. After hanging out in water for a few minutes they will float to the top and you will having floating gnocchi ready to put out.

Use a pasta ladle with holes to drain water and pull gnocchi from the pot. Lay on a dry sheet pan or plate for drying.

Then lastly, serve with your favorite marinara sauce topped over lightly or drench the gnocchi in a bowl with lots of yummy sauce to lick up. You can also fry the finished gnocchi in some brown butter and sage if you prefer.

If you want to make it easy. Serve it with a saved canned jar of marinara or a store bought favorite for this occasion.

Serve and enjoy! This recipe is enough for 4 adult servings. Easily doubled and can be frozen as well.

Hope you enjoy! Serve with a side of greens or salad and you have yourself one great meal. One to comfort and warm you after a long cold day.

Much love to you! xoxo