Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Lemon Ricotta

Ingredients

  • For the Gnocchi:
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • 1 pound (2 medium) sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup ricotta
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 1 sage sprig
  • For the Lemon Ricotta:
  • 1/2 cup ricotta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon minced sage

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Wrap each sweet potato in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast until tender, 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, make the lemon ricotta: In a medium bowl, whisk all of the lemon ricotta ingredients together until smooth.

3. Let cool slightly, then peel each sweet potato and rice through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Add the ricotta, eggs, flour, salt and pepper, and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.

4. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead until smooth. Your dough will be soft. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a long rope, ½ inch thick. Using a bench scraper or paring knife, cut the gnocchi into ½-inch pieces. (If you want, you can press the gnocchi against a gnocchi board.)

5. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, heat the butter with the garlic, thyme and sage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the butter has browned, 4 to 5 minutes. After 2 minutes of cooking the butter, drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until they float, 2 minutes.

6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the pan of brown butter and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Divide between plates and top each with a dollop of the lemon ricotta, then serve.