When it comes to pasta, I’m a buy-it-at-the-store sort of girl. The idea of actually making pasta myself conjures images of heavy contraptions, hours in the kitchen and results that probably aren’t as good as the packaged variety. That being said, I really, really wanted to try my hand at gnocchi. These tiny potato dumplings have an imperfect yet completely comforting quality to them – and making gnocchi is a much less daunting process than rolling out paper-thin strands of spaghetti dough. I think. I’d never had anything other than standard white potato gnocchi, and I found myself craving something with a twist. I stumbled upon this recipe for sweet potato gnocchi, and well, that was that. Flavored with a hint of nutmeg and a generous scoop of Parmesan, this gnocchi has a sweet and savory taste to it. Pair it with Frankie’s Spuntino’s sage butter sauce, and you’ve got something special. The sauce gives the gnocchi a gorgeous, buttery, almost nutty quality.
I was surprised by how much fun one can have with sweet potatoes. There’s something so satisfying about transforming an object into something completely different. And what’s more gratifying than mashing potatoes? This recipe called for a potato ricer, but the potatoes were so tender when they came out of the oven that a fork was all I needed to turn them into orange mush (and I use the term “mush” in the most endearing way). Also, I think mashing the sweet potatoes with a fork gives them an airier texture than you’d get from a ricer or food mill. After the sweet potatoes are mashed, they need to cool in an even layer on a sheet pan. Then they’re formed into dough with egg, flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Then they’re cut, rolled into ropes and then rolled into tiny balls. I bet you’ll never pay this much attention to sweet potatoes.
Know what else is fun? Shaping the balls of sweet potato dough with fork tines. Technically, the tines are meant to give the dough a twisty shape. This recipe makes a lot of gnocchi (six servings), so I had plenty of dough to practice with. I only got about ten really pretty pieces of gnocchi, but I consider that an accomplishment. Cooking the gnocchi is fun, too. The dough goes in the boiling water and announces when it’s ready to get out by rising to the surface. How assertive! All in all, the process takes about 2 1/4 hours. It’s a long time, but a perfect way to spend a Sunday. And it makes me think that even homemade spaghetti might be achievable – and maybe even fun.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Browned Sage Butter
Adapted from Gourmet and the Frankie’s Spuntino Cookbook
Ingredients
Gnocchi
1 1/4 pounds russet baking potatoes (about one large and one medium sized potato)
3/4 lb sweet potatoes (about three medium sized)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus more for serving
1 c all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
Browned Sage Butter Sauce
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 c sage leaves (from 1 bunch)
Salt and white pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Pierce russet and sweet potatoes in several places with a fork, then bake in a sheet pan until just tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool potatoes slightly, then peel and mash with fork on sheet pan, spreading in an even layer. Cool potatoes completely. Lightly flour another large baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Beat together egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gather potatoes into a mound in sheet pan and form a well in center. Pour egg mixture into well, then knead into potatoes. Knead in cheese and 1/2 cup of flour, then knead, adding more flour as necessary, until mixture forms a smooth but slightly sticky dough. Dust top lightly with some of flour. Cut dough into six pieces. With floured hands, form 1 piece of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rope on a lightly floured surface. Cut rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Gently roll each piece into a ball and lightly dust with flour. Repeat with remaining five pieces of dough. Turn a fork over and hold at a 45-degree angle, with tips of tines touching work surface. One at a time, roll gnocchi down fork tines, pressing with your thumb, to make ridges on one side. They should become more oval than round. Transfer gnocchi as formed to baking sheets. Refrigerate before use.
When you’re ready to make the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Begin making the sauce. Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter begins to foam. Add sage leaves, and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the foam subsides. Heat about 4 minutes, until the butter becomes a golden brown. Reduce heat to low and remove sage leaves. I don’t like the taste of sage leaves, but if you do, feel free to leave them in the sauce. With the sauce on low heat, add half the gnocchi to boiling water and stir. Cook until they float to surface, about three minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to skillet with butter sauce. Don’t worry too much about draining the pasta. A little extra water will help thicken the sauce. Cook remaining gnocchi in same manner, transferring to skillet as cooked. Heat gnocchi in skillet over medium heat, stirring to coat. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
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