Nothing says comfort and warmth like gnocchi. It's more time consuming to make them fresh instead of buying a packaged variety, but the ingredients are few and simple, the preparation is not difficult, and the finished product is absolutely delicious and worth the effort! They're also fun to make with a friend.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Kale and Hazelnuts 
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, rinsed and dried
- ¼ cup raw, blanched hazelnuts (shells and skins removed)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ to ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 2 cups kale, rinsed, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan
- Black pepper to taste
Directions
- Pierce sweet potatoes four to five times each with a fork. Bake potatoes either in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes, or microwave them for about 4 minutes on each side, until tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Roughly chop hazelnuts and spread on baking sheet. Toast in oven at 400°F for 5 minutes or just until lightly browned. Remove immediately and set aside to cool.
- Remove skins from sweet potatoes and discard. Mash peeled potatoes by hand or puree in food processor until very smooth. Add nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine
- In a large bowl, combine potato puree and ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour. Gradually add more flour if needed. Gently work flour into dough by hand, just until dough is not sticky and holds together. It is helpful to work with lightly floured hands to avoid dough sticking to fingers.
- Working on floured waxed paper, shape dough into two balls, then form each ball into a long rope, about 1-inch thick. Slice ropes with a paring knife into 1-inch gnocchi pieces. If desired, mark indentations in each gnocchi piece with the back of a fork.
- Bring large pot of water to boil and add remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook gnocchi by gently dropping 5 to 6 pieces at a time into boiling water. Cook until gnocchi float to the top, plus another 1 minute. Remove cooked gnocchi with slotted spoon and drain.
- When finished cooking all gnocchi, briefly blanch kale, drain and set aside.
- Add butter and olive oil to a large skillet or saucepan on medium heat. Add cooked gnocchi and blanched kale. Toss and stir for 5 minutes or until gnocchi are lightly browned.
- Top with toasted hazelnuts, shaved Parmesan and black pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 2.
Cara Anselmo, MS, RDN, is a nutritionist and certified yoga instructor in New York City. Follow Cara on Twitter.
