Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Top this delicious, creamy pasta dish with crispy breadcrumbs and shallots.

The sweet potato gnocchi is the perfect compliment to the rich, tangy Gorgonzola sauce.

I never thought I could make the perfect pasta dish but I think I may have done it. I grabbed some beautiful garnet sweet potatoes from the farmers market and decided to make gnocchi. You could also use jewel sweet potatoes - just stick to any that has orange flesh. Instead of boiling the chopped up pieces of sweet potato, I microwave the whole tuber for ten minutes to soften them. Once you get the hang of this technique, you can make gnocchi from regular starchy potatoes, cheese, or flour.

Sweet potatoes usually contain more moisture than regular potatoes which means you need to use a bit more flour. The key to making gnocchi that holds its shape as it boils but has a soft, tender texture is to be mindful of the flour content. I highly recommend add flour little by little as you make the dough. Depending on the moisture content of your sweet potatoes, you may need to add less or more.

Instead of using the Gorgonzola cream, you could also toss the gnocchi in one of the following sauces:

• Brown butter sauce with sage

• Broccoli rabe, garlic, and Parmesan

• Sausage, spinach, lemon, and white wine

Ingredients for the Sweet Potato Gnocchi

• 3 small sweet potatoes, roughly 3 cups of mashed sweet potato

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Ingredients for the Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

• 6 oz Gorgonzola cheese crumbs

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup pasta water

• 1 leek, white and light green parts only

• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon dry sherry

• Toasted breadcrumbs and shallots (garnish)

Serves 4

Directions for the Sweet Potato Gnocchi

1. Using a fork, prick holes all over your sweet potatoes. Place them into a dish with a cover and microwave for eight to ten minutes on high. Check your sweet potatoes doneness at the half way mark.

2. Remove from the dish and allow to cool for a few minutes or until you’re able to handle them. Scrape out all of the flesh, place a bowl, and mash with a fork.

3. Add in an egg yolk, Chinese Five-Spice powder, and kosher salt. Then, slowly add in two cups of all purpose flour. You may need less flour depending on the moisture content of your sweet potatoes. Mix until you create a shaggy dough. Transfer to a clean work surface and continue to knead the dough until it becomes supple. Add a bit more flour to prevent it from sticking.

4. Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thick rope. Cut the ropes down into one inch pieces and set aside.

5. Using a fork, roll each piece of gnocchi dough down the backside of the fork to create indentations. These will help the gnocchi hold sauce.

6. Boil the gnocchi in well salted water for two minutes or until they float to the surface. Transfer to a cold tray with a knob of butter. This will prevent the gnocchi from sticking together. Set aside.

Directions for the Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

1. Add two tablespoons of unsalted butter to a medium saucier pan. Sweat your sliced leeks in the butter with a dash of kosher salt until soft. This will take about five minutes.

2. Then, add in your cooked and buttered gnocchi. Allow them to get slightly crisp and brown from the butter. Add in a ladle of pasta water, Gorgonzola cheese, heavy cream, sugar, kosher salt and pepper. Simmer on medium heat for two minutes until the sauce thickens. Just before cutting off the heat, add in the dry sherry.

3. Transfer some of the gnocchi to a plate and top with toasted breadcrumbs and shallots. Enjoy!