Hello! I’m still here….I’m just drowning in taxes! Since I’ve been busy with tax season, I haven’t been able to cook or bake recently. My husband, so nicely, has been the chef in the house and I’m pretty sure I can’t convince him to take pictures and blog in my place 🙂 So here’s a recipe that I made back in January when I still had a life outside of my office! It’s a recipe for Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gouda Cheese Sauce. Just typing that name makes me drool a little. I’d never made homemade gnocchi before and was pleased with how easy it was to make! Soft little potato pillows with a creamy GOUDA sauce…I mean, come on, how can you go wrong?!
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gouda Cheese Sauce Print Recipe Here
Ingredients
FOR THE GNOCCHI
1 pound Sweet Potatoes
6 ounces, fresh Ricotta Cheese
½ cups Parmesan Cheese, Finely Grated
1 Tablespoon Golden Brown Sugar, Packed
1 teaspoon Salt Plus 1 Tablespoon For Pasta Water
¼ teaspoons Nutmeg, Freshly Ground
1-¾ cup All-purpose Flour
FOR THE SAUCE
2 cups Milk, Heated
¼ whole Onion
2 cloves Garlic
3 whole Sage Leaves
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
1 cup Gouda Cheese (Shredded)
Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
Directions
Gnocchi
Microwave sweet potatoes on a plate on high for 5-6 minutes on each side, until tender. Carefully cut in half and allow to cool. Scrape out the flesh of the sweet potatoes into a medium bowl and mash. Take 1 1/2 cups of the mashed sweet potatoes and put in a large bowl; stir in the ricotta until combined. Now stir in the Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and nutmeg. Mash together to blend and then mix in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
Place the dough on a floured surface and divide into 3 equal parts. Roll the dough on the floured surface with the palm of your hand. Roll each piece into a 20-inch long rope (about 1-inch thick). If needed, sprinkle more flour on the dough. Cut each of the ropes into 20 pieces (so you’ll end up with 60 pieces). Use the tines of a fork to indent each piece and transfer to a lined baking sheet.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil, then salt the water and bring back to a boil. Boil the gnocchi dough in batches, 5-6 minutes for each batch until the gnocchi is tender. remove gnocchi to a clean rimmed baking sheet to cool completely. The gnocchi can be made up to four hours ahead of time.
Sauce
To make the sauce, place milk, onion, garlic, and sage in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-heat until the sauce begins to bubble (this will take about 5 minutes). Be careful not to let the sauce come to a boil. As soon as the bubbles appear around the edges, remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Remove the onion, garlic, and sage leaves (they can be thrown away). Put a lid on the sauce to keep it warm.
In a clean saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Now stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk. Whisk continuously until the sauce is thick and smooth, this will take 4-5 minutes. Strain the sauce into another clean saucepan and whisk in the the Gouda. Allow the cheese to melt over low heat, whisking the entire time. The sauce is ready when it is smooth. Taste and season with salt & pepper. Serve the gnocchi with the sauce poured over the top. Enjoy!
This is where a microwave would come in handy. I baked my sweet potato at 400 degrees for about an hour.
Cut baked sweet potato in half and let cool.
Scrape out the sweet potato.
Mash away!
Add ricotta cheese.
Blend well.
Add Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, and nutmeg.
Mash to blend.
Mix in the flour until soft dough forms.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface.
Divide into 3 pieces.
Roll each piece into a 20 inch long rope.
Cut each rope into 20 pieces and roll each piece over the tines of a fork to indent.
Place on a baking sheet.
Drop into a large pot of boiling, salted water. Work in 3-4 batches. Let each batch boil about 5-6 minutes.
Transfer onto a clean baking sheet.
Cool completely.
While the gnocchi is cooling, start on the sauce. Combine milk, onion, garlic, and sage (I didn’t have any so I used fresh thyme) in a small pot.
In another sauce pan, melt butter and stir in the flour. Stir for one minute.
Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly.
After about 4 minutes, dip a wooden spoon into the sauce. You should be able to leave a clean track through the sauce with your finger.
Whisk in the shredded Gouda and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Season with salt & pepper.
I like to crisp up the outside of my gnocchi in a little EVOO over medium heat for a few minutes. It adds a nice texture to the outside of the gnocchi.
Pour the sauce over the gnocchi and serve!
Bon Appetit!