Yam Gnocchi
We are almost at the end of our pasta filled journey through the alphabet, as hard as it is to believe, so of course the next stop is a letter that, for no explicit reason, can sometimes be a vowel, Y. Yes, you’re correct, this is another tricky letter to find yummy food to associate with.
Yak, tell me where you can find that in the US, any yellow vegetable like yellow squash or yellow peppers, yeast, not sure how I can use that for pasta, yuzu, a Japanese citrus, yams, didn’t really inspire me, yolk (as in egg yolk), I just did egg yolk ravioli, and yellowfin tuna, I’ve honestly never been a fan of tuna.
And last but not least, there are yams. Fun fact, yams and sweet potatoes aren’t actually the same thing, true yams have a somewhat dry and starchy texture while sweet potatoes are naturally…sweet. In fact, in the US if you see canned yams, those are actually sweet potatoes. But the words yam and sweet potato seem to be interchangeable in the US, so in that case it’s more up to who you’re talking to.
To me, it seemed perfect to incorporate yams into a unique gnocchi. Served with pancetta, peas, and a touch of butter, I think this yam gnocchi will be yummy!
Serves 4
For the Yam Gnocchi:
1 pound yams (4 medium sized yams)
Salt
4 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
For serving:
8 oz pancetta, cubed
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Jab the yams all over with a fork, then bake for 75 minutes, or until fork tender. (If you’re short on time, then you can also microwave the yams, which would only take 4 minutes) Remove with a slotted spoon then use a potato masher or ricer to mash the yams into fine shreds.
To the yams, add the ricotta, eggs, a grating of nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then add the flour and mix until tacky dough forms that starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface, then knead until combined and smooth.
Cut the dough into 8 pieces, then roll each piece into a 1-inch thick log. Cut each log into 1/2-inch pieces.
Bring a wide saucepan full of water to a gentle boil and add the gnocchi, working in batches if necessary. Let the yam gnocchi cook until they float to the surface of the water, then drain.
While the yam gnocchi cooks, render the pancetta in a wide nonstick frying pan over medium heat until the pancetta is browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, then add the yam gnocchi to the rendered pancetta fat. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the yam gnocchi is browned on all sides.
Add the peas and butter to the pan, then cook, tossing occasionally, until the butter has melted and the peas are warmed through. Return the pancetta to the pan, then add the parmesan and toss until the cheese is melted, then serve, topping with a bit of black pepper.
