The kids are off still off from school. Last night I needed to make dinner whilst keeping my little guys entertained. I decided to put them to work as we made sweet potato gnocchi for a cozy supper. It was fun and as long as they were approximately the same size, I wasn’t a stickler for the shape.

Gnocchi is usually a hard sell on me. I am not a fan of potato-based gnocchi at restaurants as it tends to be gummy and too often, tossed in a heavy and single tone sauce. That was until I tried sweet potato gnocchi. Sweet potatoes have a lot more flavor which echo through as they are kneaded with flour.

Once the auburn dumplings were ready, I tossed them with some Italian hot sausage and pistachios. YUM. The kids and I were very happy.

The dish is perfect for a cold night like the many we have ahead. Something in the act of rolling, cutting and lightly pillow shaping left me and my boys with a relaxed state of mind – them shedding their high octane energy and me shedding my high strung tone (not sure what set that off yesterday).

Recipe for Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter top

Method

1)   Wash the sweet potatoes, prick all over. Wrap each potato in foil and bake at 400 degrees for an hour

2)   Scoop out the flesh in to a large mixing bowl. Add the parmesan, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper combine well. Add ½ a cup of flour at a time until it becomes like a soft dough (you may need more flour if the sweet potatoes have too much moisture) – set aside to rest for 30 minutes

3)   Generously sprinkle the work surface with flour, and a tray where you will keep the gnocchi pieces

4)   Divide mixture in to 6 parts and roll in to logs (1” thick), cut in to 1 ½ cm pieces, roll each piece with a fork for slight grooves (this will let the sauce latch on to the gnocchi)

5)   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook in small batches until the gnocchis float to the top – usually happens within 5 minutes – Drain and set aside

6)   Toss in your sauce of choice

Sauce suggestions:

1)   Italian hot sausage

2)   Pesto

3)   Brown butter and sage