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    You Are Here: Home → Main Course → Pasta

    Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pesto

    September 12, 2021 | Updated November 30, 2021 by Ryan 6 Comments

    500 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    homemade gnocchi on white plate
    sweet potato gnocchi with sage pesto on white plate
    gnocchi made with sweet potatoes on white plate
    overhead shot of sweet potato gnocchi on white plate

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

    This sweet potato gnocchi with pesto combines light and pillowy gnocchi with a sage pesto that tastes like fall. And yes homemade gnocchi is worth the time.

    homemade gnocchi on white plate with fork

    I love me some gnocchi - from chicken pesto gnocchi to gnocchi carbonara to sun-dried tomato pesto gnocchi.

    Have you ever made homemade gnocchi? Up until a few years ago I hadn't. I imagine it's something not many people think of making. I mean you can easily just buy the pre-made stuff at the store.

    While it's decent, there really is nothing like fresh homemade gnocchi. And it really is much easier than you imagine! With fall just starting, I figured it was time to make this sweet potato gnocchi with pesto.

    You might be questioning the fall taste with pesto, but it's a sage pesto that I shared earlier! I mentioned before you really shouldn't be scared of making gnocchi.

    This recipe is literally just 4 ingredients and can be made in about 40 minutes - 30 if you're super quick! Since there is no egg in this recipe, it's light and pillowy - yes that's a word. You can add an egg if you want but it makes it more dense.

    When making gnocchi, you mix the ingredients until it just comes together and is still slightly sticky. Then you roll into long skinny rope-like shapes and cut. You can be really fancy and use a gnocchi board to give it texture and catch the sauce a little more, but I find it unnecessary.

    The great thing about this sweet potato gnocchi is you can pair it with almost any sauce but my wife and I loved this sage pesto. And I think you will too.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Ingredient Swaps
    • Step-by-Step Photos
    • FAQs
    • Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
    • Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
    • Other Gnocchi Recipes
    • Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pesto
    overhead shot of sweet potato gnocchi on white plate

    Ingredient Notes

    • Pesto - I like to make my own sage pesto as it pairs well with the flavors of the sweet potato and gives fall vibes.
    • Sweet potatoes - adds sweet and earthy undertones with hints of nuttiness to the gnocchi.
    • Ricotta - helps act as a binder and also keeps the gnocchi light and pillowy.

    Ingredient Swaps

    As with any recipe you can swap out some of the ingredients. Some variations include:

    • I like making my own sage pesto as it is unique and complements the flavors of the sweet potatoes, but you can just use store-bought pesto if you prefer.
    • While I use sweet potatoes, pumpkin or butternut squash are good substitutes.
    • Ricotta cheese is great for gnocchi, but cottage cheese or even goat cheese are good substitutes.
    • While not a substitute, if I want some protein, pancetta is my go-to.

    Step-by-Step Photos

    process shots of microwaving sweet potatoes and mixings with flour and ricotta

    Poke holes in the sweet potato and wrap in damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 7 minutes or until it is soft. Remove the skin and mash. Mix in the ricotta, salt and Parmesan before adding flour ½ cup at a time. Mix until you can just form a ball.

    process shots of forming dough into disc and cutting into 1 inch pieces

    Form dough into disc on floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a long skinny rope that is 1 inch thick. Cut 1 inch wide gnocchi and place on a floured baking sheet.

    process shots of boiling gnocchi and pan-frying in skillet

    Boil gnocchi until they float and then pan-fry in skillet over medium-high heat with some butter. Cook about 3 minutes per side.

    process shots of making sage pesto and tossing with gnocchi

    While gnocchi is cooking, make sage pesto. Remove the gnocchi from heat and toss in the pesto so it is coated.

    FAQs

    Can You Make this with Pumpkin?

    Yes you can. Just use the same amount of pumpkin - which is 1 lb. You could even try butternut or acorn squash as well.

    Can I Use a Different Sauce?

    Of course. I just liked to mix it up and the combination of sage and goat cheese with this sweet potato gnocchi paired well. However a brown butter sauce also works great.

    Can I Freeze Gnocchi?

    Yes. Once the gnocchi is cut and placed on a baking sheet, just put in the freezer for an hour before transferring to a bag. When you are ready to cook, it will take slightly longer to float but will still be ready quickly.

    Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

    Sweet potatoes are super popular these days and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of sweet potatoes include:

    • Great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
    • Promotes gut health.
    • Regulates blood pressure and sugar levels.
    • Helps with keeping healthy vision.
    • May improve brain function.

    Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

    • Add just enough flour. Let me be clear. While most times, you need 1 ¼ cups of flour for this recipe, there are times you need slightly more or slightly less. Every sweet potato is different in moisture content which is what controls the amount of flour you use. Use either a wooden spoon or your hands to mix in the flour until just incorporated and where the dough forms a loaf. It should be a soft dough.
    • Don’t overmix. Just like anything with flour, if your overmix or knead too much, you’ll get a tougher gnocchi. It won’t be soft and pillowy. You want to mix until it just comes together.
    • Don’t make them perfect. Gnocchi doesn’t have to be perfect shapes or have ridges. Mine never look exactly the same but they taste great! Also you can skip the ridges. It’s time consuming and not worth the effort.
    • Sprinkle with flour when cutting and transporting. Gnocchi can get sticky if there isn’t flour sprinkled on it. As I’m rolling out the dough to cut and then cut into gnocchi and then transfer to a sheet, I sprinkle with flour to make sure it doesn’t stick. Learn from me as I didn’t do this in the past.
    • Boil until they float. When cooking the sweet potato gnocchi, boil it until they float and then remove and add to a sauce.
    gnocchi made with sweet potatoes on white plate

    Other Gnocchi Recipes

    • fork dipped in pumpkin gnocchi on speckled plate
      Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce
    • close-up of spoonfull of baked ricotta gnocchi
      Baked Ricotta Gnocchi
    • overhead shot of spoon dipped in butternut squash gnocchi in skillet
      Butternut Squash Gnocchi

    If you’ve tried this sweet potato gnocchi with pesto or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

    overhead shot of sweet potato gnocchi on white plate
    Print Recipe
    4.72 from 7 votes

    Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pesto

    This gnocchi made with sweet potato tossed in pesto combines light and pillowy gnocchi with a sage pesto that tastes like fall.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Pasta
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 543kcal
    Author: Ryan Beck

    Ingredients

    Sage Pesto

    • ½ cup fresh sage
    • ½ cup fresh Italian parsley
    • ¼ cup roasted pistachios
    • 2 tablespoon goat cheese
    • 1 garlic cloves, chopped
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ⅓ cup olive oil
    • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

    Gnocchi

    • 1 lb sweet potato
    • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ¼ cup goat cheese

    Instructions

    Sage Pesto

    • Add sage, parsley, pistachios, goat cheese, garlic, and salt to blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined. With blender or food processor on, slowly add olive oil until well combined. Add the Parmesan and blend for 10 more seconds until just combined. Set aside.

    Gnocchi

    • Poke a few holes in the sweet potato and wrap in damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 7 minutes or until sweet potato is soft. You can also bake in oven at 400°F for 45 minutes.
    • Remove the skin and mash. Add in the ricotta, salt and Parmesan cheese and mix until combined. Add in flour ½ cup at a time. Mix until just combined and you form a ball. Do not over knead, otherwise it will be tough. The dough should be sticky.
    • Flour a clean surface and place the dough there. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll and stretch the dough until it forms a long skinny rope, about 1 inch thick. Cut about 1 inch wide and then transfer to a baking sheet, making sure each gnocchi is covered in flour so they don't stick to each other.
    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi until they float, which should be about 3-4 minutes. Drain and toss with some olive oil so they don't stick.
    • Heat 2 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi and pan-fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. You will have to do this in batches if you can't have gnocchi in single later.
    • Mix ½ pesto with ¼ cup of goat cheese and toss with gnocchi. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

    Notes

    • Add just enough flour. Let me be clear. While most times, you need 1 ¼ cups of flour for this recipe, there are times you need slightly more or slightly less. Every sweet potato is different in moisture content which is what controls the amount of flour you use. Use either a wooden spoon or your hands to mix in the flour until just incorporated and where the dough forms a loaf. It should be a soft dough.
    • Don’t overmix. Just like anything with flour, if your overmix or knead too much, you’ll get a tougher gnocchi. It won’t be soft and pillowy. You want to mix until it just comes together.
    • Don’t make them perfect. Gnocchi doesn’t have to be perfect shapes or have ridges. Mine never look exactly the same but they taste great! Also you can skip the ridges. It’s time consuming and not worth the effort.
    • Sprinkle with flour when cutting and transporting. Gnocchi can get sticky if there isn’t flour sprinkled on it. As I’m rolling out the dough to cut and then cut into gnocchi and then transfer to a sheet, I sprinkle with flour to make sure it doesn’t stick. Learn from me as I didn’t do this in the past.
    • Boil until they float. When cooking the gnocchi, boil it until they float and then remove and add to a sauce.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 755mg | Potassium: 448mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 16500IU | Vitamin C: 6.6mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Did You Try This Recipe?I love seeing what you make so mention @ChiselandFork or tag #chiselandfork on Instagram and please give a star rating below!
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    Comments

    1. TheBrownSugarCafe says

      October 08, 2018 at 8:10 am

      4 stars
      This looks so good!!!!!

      Reply
    2. Karolina says

      October 08, 2018 at 8:16 am

      5 stars
      I love it! My kids will too, hence it landed in my Pinterest board for them:) thanks!

      Reply
    3. Cristina Alciati says

      October 08, 2018 at 9:15 am

      5 stars
      Love this variation on gnocchi. They look fab! I roll the gnocchi on the back of a fork to give them texture and sometimes add a splash of grappa or white wine to add to the flavour. Great pictures too!

      Reply
    4. Jen says

      October 08, 2018 at 10:29 am

      Sounds delicious!

      Reply
    5. LaRena Fry says

      October 08, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      Oh my!! What a wonderful recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    6. Kathryn says

      October 08, 2018 at 9:36 pm

      4 stars
      Love it. It’s such an easy simple recipe. Will definitely be making this for the family this week. Thanks for sharing.!

      Reply

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    Hey there! Welcome to Chisel & Fork, a blog with tasty recipes and DIY projects. I'm Ryan and here you'll find hundreds of recipes ranging from true comfort food to vegan. Oh and if you like woodworking, you might just find your next inspiration. Read More About Chisel & Fork…

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