Homemade sweet potato gnocchi in brown butter cream sauce is much simpler to make than you think!
By now you guys probably know what little patience I have. This is why I don’t bake very often and when homemade pasta is involved, I usually let Zach handle it. It may come as a surprise that I would choose to share a homemade gnocchi recipe with you. I decided the make this recipe spur of a moment. I’ve been battling with something emotionally, and I knew I needed to dive headfirst into something mindless. I will usually either break out my knitting or play a stupid game on my phone, but I thought making gnocchi was the perfect thing to keep my mind preoccupied.
The thing about gnocchi is that it does take some work, but it’s pretty simple to make in the end. What I love most about making gnocchi is that you can make a ton at one, cook up a few, and freeze the rest. Below are instructions for both cooking from fresh and from frozen. I’ve done both numerous times and both work perfectly. Don’t be scared by homemade gnocchi. It’s so easy to make and you will be so impressed with yourself when you’re finished!
Beer It was definitely a battle with this beer pairing. I flip flopped back in forth between a barleywine and quad. I love them both for this recipe, so if a barleywine is more your style, feel free to go that route. Either way you go, I really wanted something decadent for this recipe. A quad really makes this recipe shine. It has a slight sweetness that really pairs well with the gnocchi. It really is the perfect pairing, so give it a try ASAP!
Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Brown Butter Cream Sauce
Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Servings:
100 gnocchiNutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 2 lb sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 1/2 lb russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk beaten
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 1/2 cup to 3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Brown Butter Cream Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- salt and black pepper to taste
- Garnish: fresh thyme and parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preparing your gnocchi:
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and fill with just enough water so that it covers the potatoes. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until fork tender then drain. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and mash them with the back of a fork until little to no lumps remain (you may also push the potatoes through a potato ricer for a finer mash).
- To the bowl with the potatoes, add the salt, black pepper, parmesan cheese, egg and egg yolk, and honey. Mix all of the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. I used a stand mixer with paddle attachment fixed for this step. You may use a large wooden spoon if you do not have one on hand. Add the flour in half cup increments until a soft dough forms. You will want to the dough to be soft and slightly sticky, but not so sticky that it comes off in your hand.
- Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a freeform rectangle. Cut the rectangle into 20 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope about 3/4 inch thick. Add small amounts of flour as needed if the dough gets too sticky. Cut each rope into 1/2 inch pieces.
- At this point you may prepare your gnocchi, or freeze them. If you plan on cooking them right away just leave them at room temperature until you are ready to cook. If you plan on freezing them, place them in an airtight container and freeze for about a month.
Instructions for cooking from fresh:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a heavy simmer. Add the gnocchi in batch and cook until the gnocchi begins to float to the top. Let it cook for 20 additional seconds as they float and then with a slotted spoon transfer the gnocchi to a large plate. Toss in brown butter cream sauce (recipe below) and serve topped with additional parmesan cheese and fresh thyme if desired.
Instructions for cooking from frozen:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a heavy simmer. Add the gnocchi in batch and cook until the gnocchi begins to float to the top. Let it cook for 1 minute and 30 additional seconds as they float and then with a slotted spoon transfer the gnocchi to a large plate. Toss in brown butter cream sauce (recipe below) and serve topped with additional parmesan cheese and fresh thyme if desired.
Brown Butter Cream Sauce:
- Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, swirling the butter often, until brown bits begin to form on the bottom of the pan. As soon as you see this, immediately turn the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Cook for 2 minutes and then stir in the parmesan cheese. Continue cooking until slightly thickened and then season to taste as necessary. Serve immediately!
Note
- You may choose to sear your gnocchi in butter after you simmer them and before you add them to your sauce. This is totally up to you. It adds a certain "char" to the gnocchi, but not in a bad way and is actually pretty delicious.
3 Responses
Have you tried this gnocchi paired with an Italian red sauce similar to a tradition potato gnocchi?