Sweet Potato Gnudi with Sage Butter Recipe

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Roast sweet potatoes in the preheated oven until tender about 1 hour; set aside until cool enough to handle.

Halve cooled sweet potatoes lengthwise and scoop the flesh from the peels. Discard potato peels. Mash the sweet potato flesh on a work surface and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes to cool and release moisture.

Transfer mashed sweet potatoes to a bowl and mix with egg yolks ricotta cheese and 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Stir in salt black pepper and nutmeg. Add flour gradually to the sweet potato mixture until the dough holds together. Start with 1/4 cup each semolina flour and all-purpose flour adding more as you need to.

Scoop dough by teaspoonful and roll into marble-size balls. Sprinkle a baking sheet generously with semolina flour and place gnudi onto the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight for best texture.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let the water simmer. Gently drop gnudi about 12 at a time into the simmering water and cook until they rise to the surface about 4 minutes. Simmer for 4 more minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Keep boiled gnudi warm while you finish cooking remaining batches.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook whole sage leaves until they wilt and are beginning to brown about 2 minutes; remove leaves. Retain butter in skillet. Stir chopped sage into the hot butter and cook until the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty fragrance about 2 minutes. Gently mix the gnudi into the butter and sage until gnudi are coated. Garnish with whole sage leaves and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to serve.