Recipe of the Week: Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Brown Butter Sage Sauce

It’s no secret we love to eat and drink here at Seattle magazine. It was our love of food, in fact, that motivated our visit to the Blue Ribbon Cooking School on Friday, March 10 when we were invited for a team-building cooking class on the house (how could we say no?). Fun was had—along with some drinks—we learned new cooking techniques, and most importantly: We got our nosh on when our chef instructors plated up the fruits of our labor and served us restaurant-style.

Known for its high-caliber catering at weddings (featured in the latest issue of Seattle Bride, out now), Blue Ribbon Cooking School is located in a beautifully re-purposed Azteca off Lake Union. Our hosts generously shared recipes for the evening’s meal that included this one for Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce. Spoiler alert: It’s about as fun to make as it is to eat.

Blue Ribbon Cooking School’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Makes 10 to 12 servings

2 1-pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), rinsed, patted dry, pierced all over with fork
1 12-ounce container fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 ¾ cups (about) all purpose flour

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place sweet potatoes on plate; microwave on high until tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Once the sweet potatoes are done, cut in half and cool. Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash; transfer 3 cups to large bowl. Add ricotta cheese; blend well. Add Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg; mash to blend. Mix in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.

Bring large pot of water to boil; add 2 tablespoons salt and return to boil.

Working in batches, add gnocchi to boiling water. Cook until gnocchi float and are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Scoop the gnocchi out of the water and into colander. Once drained transfer gnocchi to brown butter sage sauce. Toss gnocchi in sauce being very carefully not to mash dumplings. Divide gnocchi in shallow bowls and serve.