I LOVE pasta … who doesn’t?

Especially as an athlete growing up and in college, we ate pasta almost daily. We would “carbo-load” for energy (?) I guess … really I think it was just an excuse to eat pasta. And lots of it.

Now that I’m older and don’t have quite the metabolism I did back then, pasta tends to make me feel bloated and lethargic, rather than pumped up and energized. I still love it though, and sometimes we all need our fix.

Back in October when we went through that first “off-season” and were scrambling for cash, I started dabbling in the DIY food realm (before COVID, when everyone seemed to start dabbling in it). I baked my own bread and spun my own pasta, just to save a few dollars by using ingredients we already had.

It didn’t take long to discover that homemade is WAY better than store bought. Yes, it’s a bit more effort, but if you’re up for it, it’s SO worth it.

When we started eating a more plant-based diet, I looked for ways to incorporate vegetables into even the most basic dishes.

Pastas shifted from heavy, creamy, cheesy dishes, to nutrient-packed, plant-based equivalents, which were easier on the stomach and left us feeling full and happy.

I wanted to share a recipe here that is not only DELICIOUS, but also packs in just about as many nutrients as possible, but still gives you that pasta satisfaction that we all crave sometimes. It’s vegan, plant-based, simple and straightforward, but simultaneously mouthwatering : Sweet Potato Gnocchi tossed in a Mixed-Green Pesto sauce.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi: 2 Ingredients WHATTT

Sweet potato gnocchi is surprisingly simple … like simple to the point where you question why you ever bought it from the store in the first place. ALL you need is sweet potato & flour, and then follow a few simple steps.

Step 1: Bake two sweet potatoes. Prick them a few times on all sides with a fork, toss in some olive oil, place on a baking sheet, & bake em’ in the oven for ~55 minutes at 425°F.

Step 2: Once the sweet potatoes finish baking, let them sit until they’re cool enough to handle (10-15 mins). Then, peel off the skins (potatoes should be tender enough that you can just peel the skins away with your fingers). Toss, or better yet, compost, the skins; chop the sweet potato flesh just enough so they’ll fit into your food processor, & blend them up until the texture is that of a smooth puree.

Step 3: Once the sweet potatoes are well blended, you’ll begin to add in flour. Add in 1/2 cup of flour & blend; do this four times (totaling 2 cups of flour). The dough will likely still be sticky at this point. Either remove the food processor blade or transfer the doughy mixture to a bowl; either way, the rest of the mixing will be done by hand. Continue to add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, & stir with a spoon, until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. (It might stick a bit, but you shouldn’t have to wrestle to get it off.)

Step 4: Now comes the tedious part: shaping the dough into gnocchi balls. With your hands, grab a bit of dough and roll it into a ball in your palms (it should be about half (?) the size of a golf ball, although the size can vary). Do this on top of a floured surface; you may need to roll your dough ball in some extra flour so it doesn’t stick when you start rolling. You can either leave it in a ball, or roll it with a fork to get that traditional gnocchi texture. Place the rolled ball on a plate. Repeat this process until you’ve used up all your dough.

*Note: there is a simpler method, in which you roll out long strands of dough & chop off ~1-inch pieces to avoid rolling each ball individually. I prefer the ball method; even though it takes longer, I like the rounder, doughier result, but do whichever one is best for you!

Step 5: Now that you have your dough balls rolled, it’s time to cook them! Boil a pot of water; add salt & a splash of olive oil to the water as it begins to heat. I like to add quite a bit of salt; a friend of mine who is a chef told me once to “cook your pasta in the ocean,” and since then this has been one of my indulgences! It makes a huge difference in terms of adding salt to your dish without dumping it on directly.

When the water begins to boil, plop in your gnocchi balls. Be mindful that the hot water may splash out a bit as you plop them in! Stir occasionally. Unlike regular pasta, you won’t strain this after a certain amount of time. Instead, you will know your gnocchi is finished cooking when it floats to the surface (each piece will take a different amount of time to cook - this is why the sizes of the pieces can vary without any problems!). With a strainer spoon (not sure if this is the official name, but I’m basically talking about a spoon with holes in it), scoop out each piece of gnocchi individually as it rises to the surface. Place the cooked gnocchi in a bowl, & voila!

Step 6: Toss with your favorite sauce, & enjoy! For this dish, I made an easy vegan pesto sauce (recipe below), but you can serve with any sauce that sounds good to you!

Vegan Pesto Sauce:

I am a HUGE pesto fan. Always have been. I used to love it with lots and lots of parmesan cheese, but since turning to a plant-based diet, I’ve learned how to make a DELICIOUS pesto dish without cheese that is still BOOMING with flavor. Even if you aren’t vegan, try it out! You might be surprised.

*Note: this is a guideline, and I do a lot of this “to taste” (aka not exact measurements); I encourage you to play around with it and cater it toward your own taste buds!

Ingredients:

Fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley, any other herbs that are tasty to you! Since we live on an island, this is an excellent dish for us because more often than not, the grocery store won’t have exactly what we’re looking for. The good news is that pesto is delicious with any of these herbs - better yet with all three!
Greens: This is also a great opportunity to throw in some of those super healthy greens in a way that “disguises” them - I always try to add in kale, spinach, arugula, or whatever we have on hand!
Garlic: Start with 1 clove & add more as you blend depending on your taste buds.
Olive Oil: This dish will require a lot of olive oil! I usually start with about 1/4 cup, then add from there.
Citrus: You can use either lemon or lime for this - whichever floats your boat. I use whichever we have! Start by squeezing one lemon or lime into the mix, & add more as you go. I usually end up using about 4, but I like mine citrusy!
Toasted Nuts: I recommend macadamia nuts or almonds! I usually go for almonds simply because they’re cheaper. I LOVE macadamia nuts, but they’re super expensive here. Instead, I buy a big bag of raw almonds from Cost U Less (our equivalent of Costco) & toast them myself. To toast the almonds, just lay the raw pieces on a baking sheet / toaster tray & pop them in the toaster oven for ~10 minutes. Let them cool a bit, then toss a handful right into your blender / food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Save another handful & blend separately on its own (I do this in my NutriNinja - just one or two “pulses” does the trick) - use the ground up nuts to sprinkle on top like parmesan cheese!
AVOCADO: This is my FAVORITE part! Avocado is a super easy, VEGAN, & healthy way to make your pesto sauce creamy & delicious. Sadly, my avocados weren’t quite ripe enough today, so I wasn’t able to use avocado in this dish, but I HIGHLY recommend it for yours! I use about half of a Caribbean avocado (equivalent to about 1 whole Hass avo) - SO GOOD!
Salt & Pepper: This is definitely one of those “to taste” additions. I add salt & pepper last; start small, then add more as needed. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also add some red pepper for a lil spice!

Toasted Almonds add a savory, nutty flavor, as well as a crunchy texture & DOUBLE as “parmesan cheese” when sprinkled on top!

Process:

Throw all the ingredients mentioned above in a blender / food processor & blend right up! Play around with it - it may not turn out the perfect consistency or taste exactly as you want it the first time you blend, but that’s the fun part! Taste it, add ingredients, & adjust it as you go! For me, this is where the fun part / creative outlet comes into play. Enjoy the process & make it delicious for YOU!
Serve it up in a pretty bowl, top with some fresh herbs, crushed toasted almonds, chopped tomatoes, whatever! Squeeze a little extra lemon on top, & enjoy !!

TIP: Save any leftover pesto & use it on a night when you need a quick, easy dinner with regular (store bought) pasta, as a salad topping, a sandwich spread, or in any other way you can think of!

As always, I’d love to hear your feedback! If you try out either of these recipes, please feel free to comment below, share on Instagram, or reach out to me directly! Hope you enjoy!