A Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Bacon-Miso Sauce

There's something about a homemade Gnocchi, and when it's paired with this rich and decadent sauce, it just feels so fancy!

Prep time: 2-4 hrs

Gnocchi

Bacon - Miso Sauce

Gnocchi

A couple of hours before you start making the dough, measure out the ricotta cheese into a cheesecloth bag and drain to remove the excess liquid. I like to hang the bag off my cabinet handles and place a bowl underneath.
Wash sweet potatoes and place on a baking sheet in a 425F oven. Roast until they are tender and soft. Slice in half and remove flesh into a cheese cloth lined colander. Allow to drain while the sweet potato cools.
Once drained and cool, in a large bowl, combine ricotta, sweet potato, egg, parmesan and salt. Mix together well with the handle end of a wooden spoon. Fold in flour one cup at a time. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment and dusting lightly with flour.
Knead the dough on an evenly floured counter. I like using a small mesh strainer to make it even. Work in extra flour, as needed, until the dough is soft and does not stick to the counter.
Divide the dough in half and then each half into 8 pieces. One piece at a time, roll out a long rope. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer gnocchi pieces onto the prepared baking sheet. At this point you can place the baking sheet in the freezer.
Store the Gnocchi: Freeze the gnocchi fully for a few hours and then you can transfer them into a plastic bag for long-term storage. I like to sprinkle a tablespoon of flour into the bag with the frozen gnocchi to ensure they stay loose and don't stick.
Cook the Gnocchi: Prepare your sauce now before cooking the gnocchi.

Bacon-Miso Sauce

In a medium pot over medium heat, add olive oil and bacon. Cook until bacon has rendered it's fat and is crispy. Scoop out most of the crispy bacon crumbs and remove to a paper-towel lined plate for later.
Add the onion and garlic to the pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low until the onion and garlic are softened. Add in miso and stir until it forms a paste with the bacon fat and starts to brown a little. Raise the heat, add in the wine and scrape any bits off the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and stir until the sauce is halved.
Then add in the broth, bring to a boil and lower heat and simmer for about 10 min until the sauce is reduced by half. Remove from heat and begin cooking the gnocchi.

Bring it all together

When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. While the water is getting hot, heat a second non-stick sauté pan over medium heat and coat with about 2 tbsp of olive oil.
When the water is at a rolling boil, gently add the gnocchi to the pot and stir to make sure they don't stick together or to the bottom. I like to boil in batches of about 2 cups, any more than that and the water cools too much and the gnocchi become soggy.
Once the gnocchi begin to float, wait 20 sec more, and then remove them with a slotted spoon. Shake off excess water and place them into the sauté pan. Reserve some salty cooking water from the pot.
Stir, shake and swirl the gnocchi in the pan until they begin to brown slightly. Add 1/2 cup of the bacon miso sauce to the pan and a bit of the salty cooking water. Toss the gnocchi until they are thoroughly coated and transfer to serving plates.

Serve sprinkled with fresh cut chives and bacon crumbs.

The more you let the ricotta and sweet potatoes drain, the less flour you will need to add to the dough to make it 'workable' and the softer your end product will be.
After you cut your gnocchi into 1/2-inch pieces, you can shape them by rolling them with a fork. This gives them texture and pockets that hold onto the sauce and makes them look super fancy.
Make and freeze the gnocchi ahead of time for a quick and impressive weeknight meal.

This amazing recipe was written by Adrienne Cheatham. Find it on The Splendid Table website: