Author Notes: I was always intimidated by the idea of making gnocchi, but this recipe is far more simple that you’d think for such an elegant result. Microwaving the sweet potato cuts down on time, and the rest of the ingredients are mixed together in one bowl. Serve it plain, or as I like to do, with sautéed broccoli rabe and a quick sage brown butter sauce. —Posie (Harwood) Brien
Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients
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1
large sweet potato (about 1 pound)
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1
cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
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1/3
cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
-
1
teaspoon salt
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1 1/4
cups all-purpose flour
Directions
- Prick the sweet potato all over with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave until soft (about 7 minutes).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop out the flesh of the potato and add it to a large bowl. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, and salt and mix until smooth. Add the flour, a little at a time, stirring and then kneading until the dough just comes together—don’t overwork the dough as you want it stay light.
- Once the dough comes together, divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 1″ in diameter. (Dust with more flour as needed to keep it from sticking.) Using a sharp knife, cut the rope into 1″ pieces and transfer the pieces onto the parchment-lined sheet,
- At this point, you can either freeze the gnocchi to make later (this is such a good idea for weeknight dinners!) or cook them right away. To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the gnocchi and cook for about 2-5 minutes, or until they’re tender and they float to the surface of the water. Transfer the gnocchi carefully (they’re very delicate and can fall apart easily) to the parchment-lined sheet again.
- Serve hot with more Parmesan and some cracked pepper and butter. I like to toss mine with a simple garlic sage brown butter sauce (melt butter until it smells nutty, add some sage and minced garlic and cook briefly) and sautéed greens or broccoli rabe and cheese.
Photo by Posie Harwood