Since the Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchi I made was such a big hit with my family, I decided to try this yam version, topped with a creamy pesto sauce.

Printable Recipe

3 medium yams
1/4 cup parmesan
1 egg
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2 cups flour

Peel and chop yams, then steam them until soft. Mash yams in a large bowl, then combine them with parmesan, egg and nutmeg.  Slowly add flour until it reaches a doughy consistency and forms a ball. Lay out dough in small batches on a floured surface and roll into a long rope. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Boil in salted water until they float to the top, then remove after a few minutes. Serve with creamy pesto sauce.

Creamy Pesto Sauce:
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tub of garlic and herb cream cheese
1/3 cup parmesan
1 tbsp pesto
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

In a saucepan, bring to boil the milk, cream cheese, parmesan and pesto. Combine cornstarch and water, then add to boiling sauce. Stir until thickened, then remove from heat.

Well, I wasn’t thrilled with how the gnocchi turned out, but it’s totally my own fault. I didn’t steam the yams long enough so they were a little chunky. Also after I was done making them I set them on a plate in the fridge. When I took them out to cook them they had become very sticky and were clumping together in a gooey mess. I had to spinkle them with more flour and pull them apart one by one, while the boys whined the whole time. I was sure that dinner was ruined, but it wasn’t a total disaster. The sauce was very yummy so I think that helped. Tony actually loved  this meal! He said ‘wow, these are really good!’ and then went on to thank me for making so many great dinners. He said I was very creative with my cooking and he appreciated it. Aaaw. That makes it all worthwhile. The boys, on the other hand, would not eat my gnocchi, nor did they compliment my cooking. They were really tired and cranky so dinner was not exactly a pleasant event, unlike the last time we had gnocchi. Anyway, Cole did eventually eat it after his bath and he liked it! Oddly enough it was Bennett who refused to touch the stuff. He usually eats anything, but I’ve noticed that he really doesn’t seem to like yams. When I made Channa Masala he had a similar reaction. I don’t get it because yams were his favourite as a baby but I guess tastes change. So there you go, I tried to recreate our first gnocchi experience and failed miserably. I just have to learn from my mistakes and keep trying; that’s what cooking is all about.