Sweet Potato Gnocchi with sage brown butter
20 - 30 mins
Intermediate
Servings
4
If you’re missing your Friday night out, enjoy the comforting flavours of home-made gnocchi, with a moreish nutty brown butter drizzled over the top.
If you can’t find sweet potatoes, this recipe works just as well with a large butternut squash. To prepare, just roast the butternut squash whole in the oven as above, and then follow from step 2.
Ingredients
800g sweet potatoes, rinsed and scrubbed
200g strong white or plain bread flour
50g Parmesan, Pecorino or other hard cheese like Manchego, grated
1 egg yolk (beaten) or 1 - 2 tbsp milk to help bind the mix, if required
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, chopped or ½ tsp of dried sage
handful of fresh parsley if you have it
Instructions
Place the whole sweet potatoes on a baking sheet in a preheated oven (200c / 180c fan) for 40 minutes, or microwave for 5-8 minutes, until the centre is soft when pierced with a fork.
Remove and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, before peeling the skin. Transfer the cooked potato to a bowl and mash well.
Slowly add in the flour, cheese, a good pinch of salt and pepper. You can add the egg yolk or milk at this stage if you have it. Bring the mixture together until it forms a soft dough.
Divide the dough into 3 or 4 evenly sized balls. On a flour-dusted surface, roll each one into a long sausage-shape, and cut each into 1cm chunks. If you’re feeling fancy, you can gently press each gnocchi with the back of a fork to make a ridged pattern.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and cook the gnocchi in batches, about 2 minutes, or until they float to the top. Gently lift them and set aside before repeating with the remaining gnocchi.
In a small non-stick frying pan, add the crushed garlic, butter and sage. Heat gently until it starts to brown. Add in the cooked gnocchi and toss around in the butter.
Finish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley, and freshly ground black pepper.
