Looking for a special meal for your next date night at home? Try these sweet potato gnocchi. Made from just sweet potatoes and flour, they’re pillowy, slightly sweet, and delightfully orange. Here they’re tossed with butter and bacon fat, then topped with crispy bacon bits, fried sage, and lots of Parmesan cheese. While traditional gnocchi are rolled and cut on a floured work surface, this dough is soft enough to pipe directly into boiling water. The trick is to hold the piping bag (or zip-top bag) over the boiling water, squeeze, and cut the dough into half-inch pieces as it comes out the end. The piping is a bit tricky at first but very efficient once you get the hang of it.
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425°F, position a rack in the center, and place a large piece of foil on it. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, then poke them all over with a small knife or the tines of a fork. Place on top of the foil and bake until tender, about one hour.
- When the sweet potatoes are done, place them on a large piece of foil on the countertop (you can use the same foil from the oven). Using a sharp knife, make a deep, lengthwise slit down each sweet potato, taking care not to cut through the bottom layer of skin. Next, use a fork to mash the sweet potato flesh onto the foil until it forms a thin, flat layer. Set aside to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes cool, place a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp. Transfer the cooked bacon to a cutting board and give it a rough chop, then set aside. Pour away all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan, then add the butter and increase the heat to medium. When the butter has melted, add the sliced sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring only occasionally, until crisp but not burnt. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sage leaves from the pan and remove the pan from the heat. (Reserve the pan to later toss the gnocchi once boiled.)
- Scrape the cooled sweet potato flesh off the skins and transfer it to a medium mixing bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix with a fork until a sticky dough forms. Avoid overmixing. Transfer the mixture to a large piping bag or a gallon-size zip-top bag, then snip the bottom of the bag (or one of the bottom corners) to create a ½-inch opening.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, then lightly oil the blades of a pair of kitchen shears (you may need to regrease them once or twice to prevent sticking). When the water is boiling, hover the tip of the piping bag a couple inches above the boiling water. Gently squeeze the bag, then use the shears to cut the dough into half-inch pieces as it comes out of the end of the bag. Pipe about a third of the dough into the pot, then wait for the gnocchi to begin to float, about 30 seconds to a minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked gnocchi to the pan with the butter and bacon fat. Repeat twice more with the remaining dough. When all the gnocchi have been added to the pan, toss vigorously to coat them. Divide among plates, then top each serving with crisped bacon, sage, and Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Zola Gregory
Zola Gregory is a writer and recipe developer based in Seattle. Having previously worked as a pastry chef and baker, she now enjoys helping others find success in their own kitchens through her stories, recipes, and baking classes.