We love love love love gnocchi, but we love this slightly healthier take on the Italian favourite even more. Delicious balls of sweet potato served with a tasty cheesy topping is a winner in our book!
Prep time: 60 mins
Ingredients (serves 4)
1kg American sweet potatoes
3tbsp olive oil
1 head of garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
350g flour, plus a little extra for dusting
50g butter
250g crème fraîche
150g Shropshire Blue cheese, crumbled
100g rocket
Fresh herbs such as chives, parsley or basil, finely chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, prick all over with a fork, then brush them all over with olive oil. Cut the top off the garlic.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft, then remove the sweet potato skin immediately.
Mash the sweet potato into a dry puree using a fork or potato masher. If the sweet potatoes are very damp, leave to evaporate thoroughly.
Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and mix them through the sweet potato puree, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sieve the flour into the puree and knead into a firm but supple dough; don’t knead for too long or this will make the dough tough.
Divide the dough into quarters and roll into balls on a flour-covered work surface, then roll into thin cylinders approx. 1.5cm thick.
Cut the cylinders into 2 centimetres lengths and press grooves onto one side of each gnocchi using the back of a fork.
Boil the gnocchi in a large pan of salted water for 2½ minutes, then drain using a colander.
Next, melt the butter in a frying pan and brown the gnocchi along with a pinch of salt.
Place the rocket onto four large plates, top with the gnocchi, the crumbled cheese, and the herbs. Add a dollop of crème fraiche to serve.
