Japanese Sweet Potato Gnocchi

This recipe is a perfect use of leftover white sweet potatoes. You can, however, make gnocchi with just about any variety of potato or root vegetables that you wish. For best consistency, I recommend researching a well-loved and many-times-tried recipe online if not using Japanese Sweet Potatoes for this one.

This recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma and my husband and I absolutely loved both the process of making this dish and eating it! This particular recipe features a dreamy, creamy hazelnut pesto sauce, but it pairs well with any pesto, we think!

Ingredients:

2 lb. Japanese sweet potatoes

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 egg

Kosher salt

1 cup toasted and skinned hazelnuts

2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

2 Tbs. hazelnut oil (optional)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

FIRST: Put the sweet potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-high. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain completely. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and halve them.

THEN: Press the potatoes through a potato ricer onto a lightly floured work surface. Let cool slightly.

THEN: Sprinkle 1 3/4 cups of flour around the mound. Make a well in the mound and add the egg and 3/4 tsp. salt. Using a fork, whisk the egg and begin to incorporate the potatoes, eventually incorporating the flour. Use a dough scraper to gather up any sticky bits of dough. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup flour over the dough and very lightly knead until it forms a soft, shaggy ball. It should be tacky but not sticky. Gently move it to the side and cover it with a kitchen towel.

THEN: Dust a work surface and 2 rimmed baking sheets with flour. Cut off a tangerine-sized piece of dough and gently roll into a rope about 3/4 inch (2 cm) in diameter. Cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) lengths. Roll each gnocchi down the curved tines of a fork or down the length of a gnocchi board to create an indentation on one side and grooves on the other. Place on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should have 150 to 175 gnocchi. If not cooking them right away, place the baking sheets in the freezer until the gnocchi are firm, at least 1 hour. Then transfer to airtight containers and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook directly from the freezer.

FINALLY: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add half of the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook until soft and fluffy but cooked through 3 to 5 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer them to the serving bowl and toss gently with sauce (maybe the sauce recipe below!). Cover to keep warm. Repeat to cook the remaining gnocchi and transfer to the bowl. Spoon on more pesto and toss gently (reserve any leftover pesto to toss with spaghetti). Sprinkle with a little cheese and serve. Serves 8.

FOR THE SAUCE: In a food processor, combine the hazelnuts, parsley, lemon zest and 1 tsp. salt. Pulse to break up the nuts and parsley leaves. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and hazelnut oil, if using, until a coarse paste forms. Add more olive oil if needed to achieve a thick, pourable consistency. Scrape the pesto into a bowl and stir in the cheese. Spoon a little of the pesto into a warmed large serving bowl.