Sunchoke Ricotta Gnocchi with Walnut Thyme Butter Sauce

Nutty sunchokes and ricotta form delicious dumplings of gnocchi nestled into a buttery sauce with walnuts and fresh thyme.

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Have you ever heard of a sunchoke? They are also called Jerusalem artichokes, but either name was new to me, so when I was gifted this item from Melissa’s Produce for Fall Flavors week (which is this week) I knew I had to make something with it.

Turns out, you can roast it and do all kinds of things with it, similarly to a potato, with a more nutty taste. And when I have an excess of potatoes, my mind always goes to gnocchi. So I decided to see if I could make sunchoke gnocchi!

Turns out it’s actually even easier to make gnocchi out of sunchokes than potatoes because you don’t even need to peel them! Which was a relief because those ginger-root looking shapes were not looking a-pealing… HA! 

But I also love ricotta gnocchi so I decided to blend the two together to make a sunchoke-ricotta gnocchi. This was not a risk taking situation, I knew it would be good.

In an effort to make the flavor of the sunchokes shine, I didn’t want to smother them in a heavy sauce, so I went with a light walnut and thyme butter sauce. You could easily use other herbs or nuts if you prefer. 

I also added a bit of lemon to add some brightness to the dish. Gnocchi can be very heavy (although despite this fact I can still down an entire vat of them) so the lemon was a nice contrast and yet brought the rest of the flavors together.

This dish was made with sunchokes and Meyer lemons from Melissa’s Produce. As a side dish I also roasted some butternut squash (also from Melissa’s Produce) and brussels sprouts at tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, at 450F for 20 minutes.

Want even more fall-inspired recipes? Check out the list below. After you have saved some to make, scroll to the bottom of this post to enter the giveaway from some wonderful brands!

Monday Fall Recipes

• Apple Butternut Squash Casserole by That Recipe
• Apple Pie Tacos Recipe by Blogghetti
• Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars by Lemon Blossoms
• Apple Tea-ramisu by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Butternut Squash Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls by Sweet Beginnings
• Caramel Apple Crisp by Big Bears Wife
• Caramel Apple Empanadas by Take Two Tapas
• Caramel Apple Ice Cream Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Caramel Apple Spice Cupcakes by Daily Dish Recipes
• Caramel Apple Tea Cake by An Affair from the Heart
• Caramel Swirl Pound Cake by Family Around the Table
• Creamy Sweet Potato and Sunchoke Soup by Eat Move Make
• Easy Sausage And Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner by Intelligent Domestications
• Fall Harvest Potato Beet Soup by Frugal & Fit
• Fall Punch Mocktail by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Fall Vegetable Breakfast Hash by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Green Appletini Martini by Art of Natural Living
• Grilled Apple and Pear Salad with Maple Walnut Vinaigrette by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Meyer Lemon Scones by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pear Almond Crumble Pie by Savory Moments
• Pear Brown Betty by Cookaholic Wife
• Plum Kuchen by Palatable Pastime
• Scalloped Potatoes with Sweet Potatoes, Fennel, and Leeks by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Smashed Roasted Rosemary & Garlic Potatoes by Simple and Savory
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Toasted Pecan Filling by Books n’ Cooks
• Sunchoke Ricotta Gnocchi with Walnut Thyme Butter Sauce by The Spiffy Cookie

One year ago: Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Biscotti

Four years ago: Peach Pecan Oatmeal

Five years ago: Buckeye Shortbread Cookies

Six years ago: Blueberry Kale Smoothie

Seven years ago: Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Shell

Eight years ago: Gluten-Free Jumbo Chocolate Pomegranate Quinoa Cookie

Nine years ago: Baked Crazy Feta

SUNCHOKE RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH WALNUT THYME BUTTER SAUCE

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Yield: Serves 4

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

GNOCCHI

• 1 lb. sunchokes, scrubbed clean and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper, to taste

BUTTER SAUCE

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped California walnuts
• 1 Tbsp chopped thyme, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• Salt & pepper

Directions

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sunchokes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Transfer the sunchokes to a food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour, ricotta, and 2 generous pinches of salt and pepper. Pulse a few times until evenly incorporated.
3. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, and knead until a nice soft dough forms, adding more flour if necessary.
4. Cut the dough into 4 even pieces. Roll each piece out into a 1/2-inch-thick rope and cut each rope, with a pastry cutter or knife, into 3/4-inch pieces.
5. With your thumb, roll each piece of cut dough against the back of a handheld cheese grater, the back of a fork, or on a gnocchi board.
6. Place the gnocchi on trays dusted lightly with flour and set aside.
7. Bring another large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water in bacthes and cook until they rise to the surface, about 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander and reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.
8. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 12-inch sauté pan. Once it begins to foam, add the walnuts and thyme. Sauté a few minutes, until the butter begins to brown and the walnuts are lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the reserved pasta water, lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Toss the gnocchi in the butter sauce, sprinkle with some fresh thyme, Parmesan, and serve.

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