Gnocchi

I found a great recipe for Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage.
Gnocchi are one of my favorite types of pasta. I love them in all flavors, plain, spinach, sweet potato, it doesn't matter. What does matter is the way they are cooked. A bad gnocchi can ruin your dinner. Gnocchi should be dense and firm enough to hold shape but soft and tender and never chewy.
I can name only a small handful of places that I remember having a great gnocchi experience. The first place that comes to mind is this great little Italian restaurant in Berkeley on College Avenue called Trattoria La Siciliana. Not only are their gnocchi some of the best I have tasted but their red sauce is truly divine with just the right amount of garlic and fresh basil. It's no wonder there is always a line out the door to get in that place.
When Peter and I first arrived in NJ to look for apartments, we stayed at a Best Western in Fairfield. One night, we decided to go down the road and eat at this little Italian place called Pinto's Trattoria, on highway 46. It is this little restaurant just off the highway next two other businesses. We had no idea if the place was going to be good but we were starving. Not only was the food amazing, but the owner was so nice to us. He shared his bottle of wine with us because we didn't know it was BYOB. I would have to say the gnocchi were right on par with my requirements and the sauce was just amazing. I have yet to find another place here in Jers or even in NYC that is as good.
Spettro on Grand Avenue in Oakland near our old apartment on Lake Merritt makes the most amazing sweet potato gnocchi in a Gorgonzola cream sauce. Usually the dish is only served as an appetizer and isn't always on the menu so whenever it is I have to order it. We used to eat dinner there almost every Friday with the same group of friends. It was always so much fun because while waiting outside to get a table the restaurant would bring out pizza and wine to everyone.
Peter and I have been trying out a new diet recently and aren't eating wheat, any sort of bleached flour, sugar or dairy except for low fat cottage cheese. I have been substituting ingredients in some of my recipes and creating new recipes as well.
I will include the original and substituted ingredients (in red) for you.
SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI
makes 10-12 servings
2-1 pound red-skinned yams, rinsed, patted dry and pricked all over with a fork
1-12 oz. container of ricotta cheese, drained in a sieve for 2 hours (low fat cottage cheese)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3oz.) (1/2 cup or 1 1/2 oz.)
2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar (organic honey, starting with 2T adding to taste)
Salt, ground nutmeg, allspice - to taste (use kosher or sea salt)
2 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour (rice flour, with both flours you may have to add more until dough forms)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (Earth Balance Soy Garden butter)
6 Tablespoons chopped fresh Sage (pre-ground to taste)

To Begin:
Heat oven to 450*F. While cheese is draining, roast yams until tender, let cool.
Scrape yam flesh into bowl and mash
Transfer 3 cups to large bowl.
Add Ricotta (mash cottage cheese separately to remove large chunks before adding, I didn't do this the first time)
Blend together with a fork until completely combined
Add parm, brown sugar (honey), salt, nutmeg and allspice. Blend well.
Mix in flour 1/2 cup at a time until soft dough forms. (dough will be very soft with rice flour, be sure to only add enough until it comes together)

Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide into 6 pieces (I kneaded the dough once just to put it together and I also like to "connect" with it.)

Rolling between your hands and the floured surface (flour your hands if dough is sticky), form each piece into a 20-inch rope (about 1 inch in diameter). You can continue to flour the dough, surface and your hands if you need to.
Cut each rope into pieces about 1 inch wide, depending on your preference.

Roll the tines of a fork over each piece to indent.

Place on a sheet and put in the refrigerator.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 Tablespoons of salt if desired, return to a boil.
Working in small batches, boil gnocchi until tender (until they float) about 5-6 minutes.
Transfer to a baking sheet and cool completely (can be done up to 4 hours ahead.)
Preheat oven to 300*F.
Melt butter in heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma. Swirl pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. (you will need to cook on low heat for longer with Earth Balance butter)
Add the chopped sage (mixture may bubble up) turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a bowl.
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat with half of the sage butter.
Add half of the gnocchi. Saute until heated through.
Transfer to a platter or rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
Repeat with remaining gnocchi and butter.
Divide and serve.

I served the dish with spinach, caramelized shallots and pine nuts that I sauteed in some of the butter in a separate skillet. Peter chose a nice Chianti and we finished off diner with a little piece of Green and Blacks 70% cacao chocolate.
The following day I ate some of the leftovers with Rao's Homemade Marinara sauce. First let me say that brand of sauce is the best I have ever tasted. Normally I wouldn't suggest eating sweet potato gnocchi with red sauce but it tasted great.
Other things that might be good with the gnocchi are, diced red beets, pecans, apples, apricots, bacon (that's pretty much good with everything), coconut, ginger, pears, dry sherry, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. As I said before, they taste real good in cream sauces too.
Enjoy and stay sweet!
xoxo