Sweet potato gnocchi + gorgonzola and walnuts

Well: we had a good run. After a spring-y October and a mild most-of-November, it has finally started to feel like Winter here in Rome. My down jacket has been pulled out of storage, I’ve dusted off my extensive scarf collection — a necessity for those of us who are freddolosa, or sensitive to the cold — and I’ve called in reinforcements in the form of dinners like these sweet potato gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnuts.

First things first: don’t let the idea of making your own gnocchi intimidate you! As long as you can cook a potato and knead together a few ingredients, you can make gnocchi — plus, this dough is particularly easy to work with. While there is the matter of rolling and cutting the gnocchi, it’s not especially difficult, and I find it calming in that meditiative, repetitive sort of way. The recipe as written offers the option of cooking the potatoes in the microwave (sorry, purists) and it doesn’t call for a board to give them those fancy ridges. I used a potato ricer — I don’t use it often, and I like to feel like I’m getting my money’s worth — but the recipe itself doesn’t require it. Laid-back quality aside, these gnocchi are also special in that they’re made with sweet potatoes, a beloved ingredient I’ve finally been seeing in Roman supermarkets the past few years.

Now that we’ve established you’ll be (successfully) making homemade gnocchi, let’s get into it, shall we? These gems are made with a full cup of fluffy, cloud-like ricotta, which makes them unabashedly light and airy. They’re more nuanced than the classic potato gnocco, with a pleasant sweetness, and their bright orange hue doesn’t hurt, either. Going the sage-butter route would’ve been the most obvious choice for serving, but I decided to deviate from the beaten path here. The risk paid off: the gorgonzola sauce is luxurious and rich, and the punchiness of the cheese balances the slight sweetness of the gnocchi nicely. The sauce also happens to takes 2 minutes (no exaggeration) to make, a tremendous feat for something that tastes so fancy. The walnuts may seem like a small detail, but they add a nice crunch and texture contrast. Don’t leave them out if you can help it.

Bottom line: this is one of those rare dishes that manages to be both elegant fare and comfort food in one fell swoop — not an easy feat. And anyways — what is cozier, more stick-to-your ribs, more warming than the combination of potato + cheese + cream + a hint of sage, for the days where Winter has added biting wind to its resume?

A couple of notes: I know gorgonzola is a strong flavor and not for everyone, so do feel free to serve these gnocchi with butter and sage if you prefer. If you are a gorgonzola fan, know that the sauce is also great over any type of pasta. These gnocchi freeze great — once you have shaped the them, spread them out on a floured baking sheet, dust them with a little more flour, and freeze them until solid. Store them in plastic freezer bags. If you have these gnocchi handy in the freezer they make for a quick weeknight dinner — gnocchi + sauce cook in no time, same goes for the sauce. On the flip side, they would also be a luxurious Christmas dinner starter.

Looking for other gnocchi recipes? Click here.

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI + GORGONZOLA AND WALNUTS

Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a first course. Gnocchi recipe from A Pinch of Yum. Sauce recipe adapted from Rachel Roddy.

Ingredients for the gnocchi:
1 lb (448 grams) sweet potatos, about 2 medium
1 cup (240 grams) whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup (23 grams) Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons (8.5 grams) salt
1 1/4 cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Ingredients for the sauce:
1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter
6 sage leaves
4 ounces (112 grams) gorgonzola, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (50 grams) chopped toasted walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for the gnocchi:
1.) Start with cooking the sweet potato! You have two options here: prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake in the oven for 1 hour at 350 F (170 C) until soft. Alternatively, you can also prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, wrap them in a damp paper towel, and microwave until soft, about 7 minutes. I leave the choice to you!

2.) Once the sweet potatoes are cooked and cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl, discarding the skin. If you have a potato ricer, pass the sweet potatoes through the ricer (this encourages extra light gnocchi — if you don’t have one, don’t worry about it).

3.) Next, mix the ricotta, parmesan, and salt into the sweet potatoes until well combined and almost completely smooth. Add the flour 1/2 cup (65 grams) at a time, kneading very gently after each addition (don’t over knead it – you don’t want it to get tough). Eventually, as the dough becomes easier to handle, transfer it to a clean floured work surface and form it into a loaf shape.

4.) Cut a slice of dough off of the loaf, then roll and stretch the slice on a floured surface until it forms a long rope. Form the gnocchi by cutting the rope into pieces using a bench cutter or knife. Toss with flour and place on a baking sheet as you form the rest of your gnocchi.

Directions for the sauce: Over a medium-low flame in a large, shallow pan, melt the butter and add the sage leaves, leaving it all to bubble for a minute. Add the gorgonzola, cream and a few grinds of black pepper, then stir until the cheese has melted. Continue cooking for another minute. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Put it all together! Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the gnocchi, and boil until the gnocchi rise to the top of the water. Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon as they float to the surface (this will happen fairly quickly). Shake off the water, and add them to the pan with the sauce as you go. Stir everything together well, garnish with the walnuts, and dig in.