Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Sage Butter Sauce

Last night I decided to make gnocchi.  I've never made them before but decided to give it a try.  Since we were going grocery shopping, I picked up a few sweet potatoes and some ricotta since I'd had my eye on a recipe on foodnetwork.com.  I changed it up a bit so it was a little less sweet (no cinnamon or maple syrup).  I served these in a sage butter sauce.

I probably made these a little too big... and I'll add a little more flour next time as the dough was probably a bit loose.  But they had great flavor.  I will certainly be making more gnocchi in the future.  They took a bit of time but were worth it.

I baked the potatoes early in the day so that they were completely cool when I skinned and mashed them.  I love making meals like this on the weekend when I can take a good bit of the day to make dinner.  I just spend some time in the kitchen during breaks from doing work on the couch.

Jeremy said that these seemed like they would make an amazing Thanksgiving side dish.  I may just have to try that.  I think it would be possible to make them well in advance and just reheat them for dinner so that could be a possibility... otherwise it may be a bit too much work for one dish.  These definitely did make the kitchen smell like Thanksgiving thanks to the sage. :)

Gnocchi:
2 lbs. sweet potatoes (the orange kind)
2/3 c. ricotta cheese (part skim)
1 1/4 c. AP flour (plus more for dusting the work surface)
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 425.  Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a paring knife.  Bake on a cookie sheet lined with foil for 40-50 minutes until tender.  (The time will depend on the size of the sweet potatoes.) Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and move to a large bowl.  Mash with a potato masher.
3. Add ricotta, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.  Mix well to combine.
4. Add flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until a soft dough forms.
5. Roll out onto a floured surface and divide into 6 portions.  Roll each portion into a 1" rope and cut into 1" pieces.  Roll each piece across the tines of a fork.  Place on a floured baking sheet until ready to boil.
6. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the gnocchi in 3 batches, about 5-6 minutes.  The gnocchi are cooked when they float to the surface.
7. Remove from the water as they float and put into the sage butter sauce until ready to serve.

Sage Butter Sauce:
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. margarine
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbs. minced fresh sage leaves

1. Place a large frying pan over medium low heat.  Add olive oil and margarine until margarine is melted.  Add crushed red pepper flake and sage.
2. Continue heating until the oil turns slightly orange (from the pepper flakes) and the kitchen smells like sage. (You can keep the sauce on medium low to low heat while the gnocchi are in it until they are all cooked and ready to serve. Just mix occasionally.)