Sweet potato & sage gnocchi

Method

• Step 1
  Place potatoes in a saucepan of cold water. Cover. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until soft when pierced with a skewer.
• Step 2
  Let the potatoes cool for about 30 minutes, then peel with a small knife. If they’re still too hot to handle, wear clean rubber gloves. Return potatoes to the pan.
• Step 3
  Mash potato until just smooth, then press one-quarter of potato through a sieve into a bowl. Repeat in 3 more batches. Add salt and season with pepper.
• Step 4
  Combine flour with sage. Add the flour mixture to the mashed potato. Mix to form a firm, slightly sticky dough. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour, but only a tablespoon at a time. Too much makes the dough heavy.
• Step 5
  Dust a tray, lined with a clean, dry tea towel, with flour. Cut dough into 4 even portions. Roll each portion on a lightly floured surface to a 2cm-thick log.
• Step 6
  Use a lightly floured knife to cut logs into 2cm pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place on the lined tray, making sure the gnocchi don’t touch each other.
• Step 7
  Gently roll, 1 at a time, over the back of a lightly floured fork. The ridges help sauce cling to the gnocchi and give them a traditional Italian finish.
• Step 8
  Bring a large shallow saucepan of water to the boil. Add one-quarter of the gnocchi. When they rise to the surface – after about 2-3 minutes – they’re ready.
• Step 9
  Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a baking tray, making sure there’s a little cooking water still on the tray. This stops them sticking together.