Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For The Gnocchi:
500g sweet potato
125g ricotta cheese
50g parmesan cheese
10g salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
150g 'oo' pasta flour (more for dusting)
 
For The Sauce:
50g blanched green peas
50g finely diced white onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
100g peeled asparagus, woody part of stem removed
50g shelled broad beans
50g sugar snap peas
50g spinach
50g picked mint leaves plus a few extra for garnish
100ml vegetable stock
1 lemon juice plus zest reserved for garnish
50g butter
25ml extra virgin olive oil

Salt for seasoning
100g persian feta to garnish

Method

For the gnocchi: spike the unpeeled sweet potato a few times and bake in the oven at 170°c for 45mins - 1hour or until the potato is soft.
Scoop the flesh of the sweet potato into a mixing bowl. Discard the skin. Mix the ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg and salt until well combined and almost completely smooth. Add the flour ½ cup at a  time, kneading very gently after each addition (don't over knead it – you don't want it to get  tough).
Eventually, as the dough becomes easier to handle, transfer it to a clean floured surface and form it into a loaf around 25cm x 8cm. Slice a thin slice off the loaf and roll and stretch the slice on
a floured surface until it forms a long, skinny rope-like shape. Cut the rope into 1-inch segments and transfer to a bowl: this is your gnocchi. For a professional look, you can press the top of each gnocchi with the back of a fork.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the gnocchi and simmer until the gnocchi rises to the top of the water. Drain and toss gently with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. At this point you  can make the sauce.
Warm a large flat bottom frying pan gently then add 2 tsp of olive oil. Gently sweat the onions and garlic until soft.
Add the asparagus, broad beans, peas and a pinch of salt, and continue to cook for 1-2 mins.
Add the sugar snap peas and spinach, followed by the vegetable stock and lemon.
Add your cooked gnocchi back to the pan before whisking in the butter and remaining olive oil to thicken the sauce.
Finish by adding the picked mint leaves and season to taste.
Divide between the serving dishes. Serve with more picked mint leaves,
lemon zest, crumbled persian feta and grated parmesan or hard ricotta cheese.

Sweet Potato Fast Facts
Sweet potato is often used in winter dishes, however sweet potato season runs all year making it a delicious, healthy vegetable any time of year. Lucky us!
There are four types of sweet potato, gold, red, purple and white. Over 90% of sweet potatoes grown in Australia are the gold variety, sometimes called Beauregard. With rose/gold smooth skin and bright orange flesh.
Despite their name, sweet potatoes don't belong to the potato family, they are part of the root vegetable family. Sweet potato's creamy texture, sweet-spicy flavour and all-round goodness make them the perfect choice when it comes to supercharging your favourite meals.
In Australia, there are about 85 commercial sweet potato producers. Collectively, they produce almost 90,000 tonnes of sweet potatoes per year.

Supercharge With Sweet Potato Sweet potato is:
Very high in Vitamin A which is essential for healthy eyes and skin
Very high in Vitamin C which is a key part of the immune system and plays an important role in helping to absorb iron from foods
A source of the B vitamin niacin which is needed for energy release and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
Is a source of potassium, which is needed for healthy nerve and muscle functioning
It is high in fibre to promote a healthy digestive system and to help keep you regular

Selecting, Storing & Preparing
Fresh pick: Choose firm sweet potatoes with brightly coloured skin. The deeper the colour, the richer it is in the antioxidant beta-carotene.
Don't refrigerate: Store sweet potatoes loose (not in a plastic bag) in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place for up to two weeks.
Prep like a pro: The skin can be left on if you scrub it well, or peeled. Slice, dice or bake whole, just as you do with potatoes, or sautee, barbecue, fry or microwave.

This recipe was created by Australian Sweet Potatoes in conjunction with Sydney's Acre Eatery.