Sweet Potato Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter and Chestnuts

Gnocchi is unchartered territory for me.  As much experimentation as I've done in the kitchen, I've never made little bite-sized potato dumplings.  There's a whole bucket list of things I'd like to make (which I will publish!) and I'm proud to say that I can now check off gnocchi.

Here's what you'll need:

2 lbs sweet potatoes

15 oz ricotta cheese

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2.5 cups flour

1.5 sticks butter

5 tablespoons fresh sage

1.5 cups chestnuts

salt & pepper

To roast the chestnuts:
Start by piercing the round side of each chestnut with a sharp knife.  (I learned this the hard way.... I actually had a chestnut blow up in my oven!)
Roast in oven at 400°F for 20 minutes, tossing with a spatula half way through the cooking time.

To make the sweet potato ricotta gnocchi:

Bake sweet potatoes at 375°F for 45 minutes or until fork tender.  Cut in half and let cool.

Remove skins and mash potato flesh in a large bowl.  I’m kind of a cheater and love to use my handheld mixer for this.  A food mill or old fashioned masher would work too.  

Add ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese and mix well.   

Blend in the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg.

Slowly mix in flour, adding about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

I always use freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
It makes a huge difference

Take about a quarter of the dough and place on a floured surface.  Using your hands roll it out into a long rope (about 1 inch in diameter).  If it’s too sticky, sprinkle with flour as needed.

Cut the rope into bite-sized pieces.  Roll each piece over tines of fork to make ridges in the dumpling.  Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Transfer gnocchi to clean baking sheet and allow to cool.

To make the sage brown butter sauce:

Chop the sage and chestnuts.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan occasionally and cook butter until solids are brown, about 5 minutes.

Add chopped sage (mixture will bubble up). Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss in the gnocchi to ensure complete coating.  Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped roasted chestnuts.