Sweet Potato Gnocchi in a Sage Brown Butter Sauce Recipe & Photography by Riley Yahr Mixed & Measured | mixedandmeasured.com
What better time to try homemade gnocchi than now? No need to be intimidated, this recipe is quite simple. These fluffy dumplings are tossed in a sauce of golden brown butter, shallots, garlic, a hint of fragrant sage, and white wine to bring together all of the flavors.
DIRECTIONS Peel and roughly cut the sweet potatoes into 2-inch pieces. Place them in a pot filled with water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes until the pieces are soft enough to mash. Drain. Add the sweet potato to a bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth. This should yield about 1 1/2 cups when mashed. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour, salt, ricotta, then egg until a rough ball of dough forms. Do not over-mix. The dough should be a little sticky, but if it seems way too sticky and is not forming into a ball, add a little bit more flour at a time. (If you don’t have en electric mixer, mash the potatoes using a masher or fork until smooth, then mix in the rest of the ingredients and use your hands to knead it all together). Dump the ball of dough onto a floured work surface. Divide it into four balls of dough. Beginning with one ball, roll it out into a long rope about 1-inch in diameter.
Serves about 6
INGREDIENTS 2 sweet potatoes or yams 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta 1 egg 4 tablespoons salted butter For the sauce: 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 shallot, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ cup fresh sage, chopped 1/3 cup dry white wine 5 ounces fresh baby spinach 1/2 teaspoon salt Parmesan cheese for topping 54 | MAY/JUNE 2020
Cut the rope into 3/4-inch pieces. Dust the pieces with a little flour to prevent sticking. Repeat with your remaining three balls of dough. Leave your gnocchi on the table, or arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet while you prepare the sauce. (Don’t place the gnocchi in a bowl as they might stick together). Fill a large pot with salted water and place over high heat. In a large pan over medium heat, add the butter, garlic, shallots, black pepper, and red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, until the shallots begin to turn golden brown. Add the sage and cook for a one more minute. Add the wine and cook for another minute, allowing the wine to reduce and thicken slightly. Add the spinach and tsp salt and stir occasionally until spinach has wilted. Once your pot of water is boiling, add the gnocchi and boil until the gnocchi rise to the top, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the pan with the sauce. If sauce seems too thin, add some of the starchy pasta water to the sauce and mix until the gnocchi is coated. Add more salt and pepper if necessary and serve with parmesan on top! *
