Next up on my culinary list of things to master were gnocchi! Not your standard kind of gnocchi though, no, vibrant and delicious sweet potato gnocchi were on the agenda this Good Friday to keep me busy and challenge my skills in the kitchen once again.
I was a little worried that these were going to turn out to be a total disaster as I have never made any kind of pasta before and also don't tend to work with dough a lot (I like recipes with a more freestyle approach which doesn't tend to work well when precise measurements are key) but actually it was super easy and therapeutic to rustle these up!
It does get a little messy and the whole process takes a bit of time, not that is an issue right now, but the end results was amazing! Little pillows of fluffy goodness, the sweet potato working a total treat with the ricotta, all finished off with a super simple but effective garlic, sage and butter sauce. This total comfort food and gave me such a sense of achievement, having made every element of the dish myself and I for one am a total sweet potato gnocchi convert now!
Making theses proved the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the kitchen, leaving the outside world behind for a few hours, and the finished dish was so delicious I can't wait to make them again, so get your sweet potatoes ready!
INGREDIENTS
Serves 3-4
400g sweet potato 1 cup ricotta cheese 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/4 cup flour (more for dusting)
Sauce Bunch of sage leaves, roughly torn 4 cloves of garlic 7 tablespoons of butter 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
METHOD Stick the sweet potato a few times with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave until soft, about 7 minutes. Scoop the flesh of the sweet potato into a mixing bowl. Discard the skin. Mix with the ricotta, parmesan, and salt until well combined and almost completely smooth. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading very gently after each addition. If needed add a little more flour until you get a good dough consistency. As the dough becomes easier to handle, transfer it to a clean floured work surface and form it into a loaf. Cut a slice off of the loaf on the short side (think of it as if it were a loaf of banana bread and you were going to cut a slice to eat). Roll and stretch the slice on a floured surface until it forms a long, skinny rope-like shape. Cut the rope into segments and transfer to a bowl: this is your gnocchi. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the gnocchi, and boil until the gnocchi rise to the top of the water. Drain and toss gently with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Putting it all together: Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat until lightly bubbling and foaming. Add the garlic and sage, then add the gnocchi and pan-fry until golden brown on the outside (you may have to do this in batches). Remove from heat and let cool slightly so the butter thickens just a little. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss gently a few times to combine and serve immediately.
