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Meet your cozy night-in pasta: pillowy sweet potato gnocchi tossed in a silky white wine, garlic, and herb pan sauce. It’s rich but bright, simple yet special.

The best part? You can prep the gnocchi ahead, then finish everything in one skillet for a fast, fragrant dinner that feels restaurant-y—without the fuss.

3/4 angle photo of Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Herbed White Wine Pan Sauce with wine glasses and towel in photo

On days when the weather is cold and dreary, the only thing I want to do is spend my time cooking away in the kitchen. This past week has been the dreariest, but I’m secretly loving every minute. One, the grey clouds are casting the most perfect light in the studio barn, and pretty light makes me the happiest.

Two, I’ve had so much cooking and baking to do this week, and this cozy weather makes it perfect for staying inside and testing new recipes.

One of my favorites of the week? Hands down this soft, pillowy, and ricotta cheese filled gnocchi. Which is very much inspired by these fall days.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi before boiling

I haven’t made gnocchi in the longest time. When I realized this, I knew it was time roll up my selves and get to rolling out some fresh dough.

I’ve made both pumpkin and potato gnocchi, but sweet potato gnocchi is by far my favorite. I just love sweet potatoes and especially sweet potatoes with ricotta…and especially when tossed in a buttery sauce. It really is the perfect combo.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi before boiling on boiling with flour

If you’ve never made gnocchi at home before, don’t worry it’s not hard. It can actually be a really fun project, especially if you invite friends or family over to help!

To start, you’ll need to roast and mash your sweet potatoes. I love doing this in the oven, but if you have an instant pot, you can pressure cook the potatoes until they are fork tender (about 15 minutes on high pressure), peel away the skins, and then mash. Both the oven and the instant pot work great, so just use your preferred method.

Once you have the sweet potatoes mashed, it’s time to make the gnocchi. All you need is flour, an egg, and fresh ricotta cheese. Mix everything until a dough forms. Then roll the dough out into ropes and cut into cute little balls of gnocchi. Simple as that. Don’t stress about making each gnocchi perfect. The beauty of gnocchi is that each little puffed ball is different and cute in its own unique way. And no matter what, they’re going to be delicious.

Sounds so cheesy, but it’s also very true.

close up photo of Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Herbed White Wine Pan Sauce in bowl

Before you boil the gnocchi, make the sauce. It’s a mix up of golden brown butter, white wine, and lots of fresh herbs to give the sauce a really good flavor.

Boil the gnocchi and then drop it right into the sauce. Toss to combine, and then serve the gnocchi topped with manchego cheese.

The gnocchi is light, cheesy, and hinted with flavors of sweet potato, while the sauce is buttery and savory. Together they make the most perfect bowl of homemade gnocchi. I know you guys will love it!

And with that, I think we should all head home tonight and make it a special Thursday night full of gnocchi, wine, and maybe a good Halloween movie too. Sounds pretty good to me.

FAQ:

Can I bake or steam the sweet potatoes?
Yes—either works. Whatever the method, let excess steam escape so the mash is dry; too much moisture makes dense, gummy gnocchi.

What wine is best, and what if I don’t cook with wine?
Use a dry white (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc) for a clean, bright sauce. If skipping wine, use chicken/veg broth and finish with lemon for acidity.

Can I make the gnocchi without egg?
If your dough is egg-free, it’ll be softer—chill the shaped gnocchi before boiling and be ready to dust in a little extra flour if pieces break.

How do I freeze and cook from frozen?
Freeze gnocchi in a single layer until solid, then bag. Cook from frozen in salted water until they float and taste tender, then sauce as usual.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Herbed White Wine Pan Sauce in bowls with wine glasses and towel in photo

If you make this sweet potato gnocchi, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Herbed White Wine Pan Sauce

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 6
Calories Per Serving: 788 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

Herbed White Wine Pan Sauce

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
    2. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake for 45 minutes or until soft and tender. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, slice them in half, allow to cool, and finely mash or puree them.
    3. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, ricotta, egg, salt, and flour. Stir the mixture until just combined. If the dough seems wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, until it can be formed into a ball. The dough should be sticky.
    4. Generously flour a clean counter and scrape the dough out onto it. Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a rope about 1 inch thick and cut into bite size pieces. Repeat this process with the other pieces of dough and place the gnocchi on a baking sheet that has been dusted with flour. At this point, the gnocchi can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 1 day, and then boiled just before you are ready to eat. Or boiled right away.
    5. To make the sauce. Heat the butter and shallot in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the shallot is fragrant and the butter begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and rosemary and cook 1 minute. Add the wine and cayenne, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 3-5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.
    6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the top and are cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the gnocchi using a slotted spoon or spider strainer and drop right into the sauce, gently tossing to combine. If the sauce thickens up, add a splash of the gnocchi cooking water to thin it a bit.
    7. Divide the gnocchi among bowls. Top with manchego. EAT!
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This post was originally published on October 4, 2018
4.37 from 330 votes (280 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. This seems like the perfect recipe to make with the leftover potato from the sweet potato turkey chipotle skins. Cant wait to try it!

    Reply

  2. Hi, can i use purple sweet potatoes with this recipe as well? If so, would i have to change anything to the recipe for the dryness? The purple color would look amazing!

    Reply

  3. This sounds perfect for the weather we have been experiencing here. My family tends to want protein with pasta dishes (I know… they are nuts! ;)) Do you have any recommendations on a protein to go along with these gnocchi?

    Reply

    1. These freeze so well! Just be sure to freeze in an even layer so they do not stick together, then once frozen transfer to a freezer bag! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Fresh gnocchi is just magical, isn’t it?! It’s chilly here too… I’d love to cozy up with a bowl of this.

    Reply

  8. This looks DIVINE. Utterly divine. I’m no stranger to sweet potato gnocchi, but that herbed wine sauce….yum! Will definitely be making this soon. Thanks for another fabulous looking recipe!!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    This looks SO GOOD. I’ve made your base sweet potato gnocchi recipe before and always love them. But I have some trouble getting them to brown up in the pan after taking them out of the water. Yours always looks so yummy and crispy and perfect. Do you have any tips? Should I be doing them in batches/am I likely just overcrowding the pan? I always feel a little bit like I’m just steaming them more because they’re wet from being pulled out of the water.

    Thanks! Love the content 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hey Emma! Yes, don’t over crowd the pan, if you have too many in there at once they will just steam instead of crisp. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Yummm. This looks amazing! All of my favorite fall things. Tieghan, do you think this would work with gluten-free flour? Thank you!!

    Reply

    1. HI! I am not sure as I have not tested the recipe with GF flour, BUT I do think it would work. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. Definitely making this! Unfortunately, we do not get orange sweet potatoes in New Delhi. Can we make this with normal white sweet potatoes?

    Reply

  15. I see I can store the gnocchi for 1 day before use, but could I also pre make the sauce and then reheat it the next day as well? Would that work? I want to make this for thanksgiving but stove availability is limited during the holiday so would need to be quick about it! Thanks for the info!

    Reply

    1. HI! Yes, you can pre-make the sauce and store in the fridge! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

      Reply