Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Ingredienti

• 1 500 g (1 lb) sweet potato
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 8 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 5-6 sage leaves
• 2-3 big handfuls spinach
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preparazione

1. 1

   --- For the gnocchi: ---

2. 2

   Prick the sweet potato all over with a fork, then wrap it in a damp paper towel and microwave for 7 minutes or until soft and cooked through. Alternately, you could just oven bake the potato.

3. 3

   Scoop the sweet potato flesh out into a bowl, go over it with a potato masher until you make sure it's all smooth and properly mashed through. Mix in the ricotta, 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and salt until smooth and well combined. You may want to use your hands for this.

4. 4

   Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading very gently after each addition. Kneading too much could cause the gnocchi to get tough

5. 5

   Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and form it into a loaf, about 9x5 inches. (think the size of a loaf of banana bread). Cut into slices of dough, like you are cutting yourself thin slices of banana bread.

6. 6

   Roll and stretch each slice until it's forms a long skinny rope shape. Cut each of these rope shapes into 1 inch inch segments with a sharp knife to form your gnocchi pieces.

7. 7

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the gnocchi and boil until the gnocchi rise to the top. Drain and toss with a little olive oil. You can continue making the recipe using this gnocchi, or refrigerate or freeze them at this point.

8. 8

   --- For the sauce and finishing: ---

9. 9

   Heat the butter in a large saucepan or skillet until bubbling and slightly golden brown. Add the gnocchi and pan fry until golden brown on each side, (might have to do this in batches) then add the handfuls of baby spinach, garlic, sage leaves, and salt and pan fry for another few minutes.

10. 10

    Toss the gnocchi in the butter spinach sauce, top with the remaining parmesan cheese and serve.