Making gnocchi

I’d tried a few times to make potato gnocchi and ended up with heavy, doughy chunks that in no way resembled the airy little pillows I devoured many years ago in Rome. But I wasn't going to give up...so I tried a sweet potato gnocchi recipe courtesy of the Urban Vegan's cookbook.

Thanks to the yams, the gnocchi took on a warm orange hue and a slight sweetness that paired perfectly with the sweet basil-cream sauce. And, most importantly, they were light, so light! Oh my. I've made them three times now and they always turn out just right.

Since my babies' schedule is somewhat unpredictable, it's important for me that a somewhat involved recipe can be divided into parts, in case I need to drop it and come back later. I find it easy to prepare the gnocchi early in the day (by microwaving the sweet potato, I don't even need to turn on my oven), stick them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and pop 'em in the freezer until I am ready to boil them at dinnertime. Then I quickly saute them to give them a crispy outside, while I am making the sauce, and they are ready to serve.

Yesterday I made a huge tray of these gnocchi, thinking, “I’ll just freeze the rest and eat them some other time”…but of course we've already eaten them all!

Such little beauties...


My other little beauties...