Have you ever heard of gnocchi? It’s a potato-based pasta that originated in northern Italy. I first tried during my middle school years, when I went on a European tour with my school’s choir. We didn’t visit Italy, but we were served gnocchi at one of our group dinners in Slovakia. I was hesitant to try it at first, but fell in love after just one bite. I ended up cleaning my plate and eating my mom’s leftovers.
Traditionally, gnocchi is made with just 3 ingredients: potato, egg, and flour. However, there are several “alternative” gnocchis available in grocery stores today. I’ve seen cauliflower gnocchi at Trader Joe’s, and I’ve also seen my personal favorite, sweet potato gnocchi! I happen to love sweet potatoes, so I thought this was a brilliant idea. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to come across a vegan version in grocery stores. This inspired me to try making my own at home!
It was surprisingly easy to veganize gnocchi, as removing the egg doesn’t seem to affect the dough’s ability to hold together. I made this recipe for my parents on their anniversary, and they confirmed that they wouldn’t guess there was anything different about the gnocchi. In fact, they were very happy with their romantic Italian dinner! With the whole world seemingly under quarantine, sweet potato gnocchi would be great for an at-home date night.
Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Cherry Tomatoes
Vegan sweet potato gnocchi is easy to make with only 4 ingredients! It pairs perfectly with fresh cherry tomato sauce.
Ingredients
For the Gnocci
- 1 medium sweet potato about 300g
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Tomato Sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Crushed red pepper to taste
For Assembly
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Gnocci
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Prick the sweet potato a few times with a fork and microwave until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
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Remove the skin from the cooked sweet potato and place the flesh into a bowl with the nutritional yeast. Mash with a fork until smooth.
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Add in the flour and gently knead just until incorporated.
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Form the dough into a ball and cut into four equal pieces. Roll out one piece on a clean, floured surface into a long rope. Cut the rope into 3/4-inch pieces. Optionally, use a fork to add ridges.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gnocchi in 2 batches and cook until they float. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil (to prevent sticking).
For the Tomato Sauce
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In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic slices and sauté until translucent, about 30 seconds.
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Add the tomatoes to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the oregano. Season with crushed red pepper and salt, to taste.
For Assembly
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Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the gnocchi and cook, flipping halfway through, until crisp and golden on each side.
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Pour in the cherry tomato sauce and toss until heated through. Plate and sprinkle with salt immediately prior to serving.
Looking for more sweet potato recipes? Try out these crispy baked sweet potato fries!
