Jan 27, 2010

I think I can, I think I can...

... and so can you!

Had dinner with a friend last week at one of our favorite spots and we ordered a gnocchi dish that was out of this world. Since I was still thinking about it a week later, I decided to try it at home. It's so easy!

I had a giant sweet potato so that’s what I used – but these would be great with a regular old russet too.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Brown Butter
Serves 3-4

What you need:
1 large sweet potato
1 cup all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 egg
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
3 TB butter

How you make it:
Poke the sweet potato all over with a fork and bake at 400 degrees until it’s completely cooked and soft all the way through. Scoop out all the flesh and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Combine the sweet potato flesh with the remaining ingredients. You can certainly use a food mill or do it by hand, but I used the food processor to mix everything together into a smooth dough. Coat your hands and the counter in flour and working in thirds, roll the dough into a long log. Cut into pieces the size of a quarter and roll them loosely between your palms into a rounded oval shape. You’ll need to keep flouring your hands to keep everything from sticking. Gently roll the pieces off the back of a fork to give them the characteristic gnocchi look and repeat with the remaining dough.

Heat the butter in a wide frying pan over a medium flame until it bubbles and begins to brown. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and gently drop the gnocchi one at a time into the pot. They’ll float to the surface when they’re ready – just scoop them out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the hot butter pan. Sauté for a few minutes, turning occasionally, until the gnocchi are slightly browned. Taste to see if they need a sprinkle of salt (mine did!) or parmesan and serve immediately.

At the restaurant, the parmesan gnocchi were served in a roasted acorn squash “bowl” that was delicious. I also roasted some acorn squash halves, and they were good, but the gnocchi is the real star of the show. 


7 comments:

Toni Weir said...

This looks INCREDIBLE!

The Single Gal said...

Thanks babe -

I need to stress how EASY they are, you & your hubby should absolutely make some pronto!

Erin said...

Holy Cow my mouth is watering! Those really look so yummy! As always, I am so impressed with your abilities.

The Single Gal said...

Thanks pal! You would really love these... the cheese in the dumpling hits the hot butter and it's magic :)

The Leftoverist said...

You really think I can do it?! I've never made gnocchi before, but these look so delicious.

The Single Gal said...

Of course you can! And your kids will LOVE them. Check out the new Bon Appetit, there's a pictorial how-to for gnocchi in the back!

Anonymous said...

We are huge fans! Well done Single Gal! Had it tonight for dinner- added cinnamon!Could be a dessert!