Sweet Potato Gnocchi
3 good-sized sweet potatoes, rinsed, dried, and pierced with a fork
12 oz. fresh ricotta cheese, drained
1 C finely-grated parmesan cheese
2 T brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 3/4 C flour
6 T fresh sage
Put the sweet potatoes on a plate and microwave them until they are tender. This is alleged to take about 5 minutes per side, but took more like ten in my microwave. Just be sure that you pierce them or they will explode. Anyway, when they’re soft, cut them in half and let them cool. Scrape the sweet potato flesh into a medium bowl and put them through a ricer or mash them very smooth. Add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg and blend well. Mix in the flour about 1/2 C at a time until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll each into a rope about 1″ in diameter. Use more flour if they’re too sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Shape them into your favorite gnocchi shape.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding 2T salt. Drop the gnocchi in about a dozen at a time. When they float, they’re done. Scoop them out and put them on a plate to cool.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter solids start to brown. Add chopped fresh sage and season with salt and pepper. Remove about half the butter from the skillet and set it aside. Put in about half the gnocchi and brown them lightly. Repeat with the other half of the gnocchi and sage butter. Keep the gnocchi warm in the oven in a baking dish while you’re working. Serve in little bowls with a sprig of sage.