Homemade on the Heights: Rustic Sage & Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Growing up, I lived in a household where the quiet determination and diligence of my two parents, both of whom worked full-time jobs, often went unnoticed by my brother and I. Like many children, we went to daycare or school and were picked up around 2 or 3 p.m. by our grandmother or a parent if they were fortunate enough to take the afternoon off. 

While their busy lifestyle had minimal impact on my day-to-day life for most of the year, having two dedicated working parents significantly influenced how I spent my summers.

Before summer began, year after year, my mother would sit my brother and I down at our home computer and open a spreadsheet. This spreadsheet became a constant throughout my childhood—each year featuring a column for me and a column for my brother. Each column contained 11 rows, corresponding to the 11 weeks of summer, where we would select a summer school, camp, or activity to fill our days with a whirlwind of commitments and obligations. 

I remember attending some truly bizarre camps—American Girl doll day camp, bracelet-making camp, Harry Potter camp, and many more. But every year, my unwavering favorite was, to no one’s surprise, cooking camp.

Today’s recipe is near and dear to my heart, as it is heavily inspired by one of the first recipes I ever learned at cooking camp: potato gnocchi. In the spirit of fall and my obsession with the season, however, I found the perfect seasonal twist on the recipe. Instead of traditional potato gnocchi, I used sweet potato. Paired with a sage butter sauce, the sweetness creates a delightful sweet and salty flavor explosion.

Though making gnocchi from scratch certainly sounded daunting to me at first as well, trust me, this recipe is so simple and so worth it. I hope you enjoy!

DISH: Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Sage Butter Sauce

(Photo Courtesy of Sydney Benedict)

INGREDIENTS:

2 large Japanese or standard sweet potatoes

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups flour (and a little extra for kneading and sprinkling)

1/4 – 1/2 cup butter 

Fresh sage leaves to taste (I used about 1/4 cup)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large pot, boil water and add sweet potatoes
2. Boil sweet potatoes until the skin begins to peel off and a fork can easily be inserted into the center (30 to 45 minutes).
3. Mash sweet potatoes in a large bowl until smooth 
4. Add flour, salt, and eggs and knead until smooth. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not so much that it can’t be kneaded.
5. Roll out the dough into long ropes and slice and shape the pasta into small ovals.
6. Cook pasta in boiling water with salt and splash of olive oil (to prevent sticking) for about 3 minutes.
7. Add brown butter and sage in a saucepan (sometimes I add salt and garlic powder too).
8. Pasta will float to the top when cooked. Add to saucepan with sage and butter.
9. Serve and enjoy!