Recipe

How To Make Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce and Pancetta

By Sabrina Marques at Boston University

The cold weather has officially set in around much of the U.S., calling for heartier meal ideas to warm up. Survive the cold with this filling, savory recipe. It uses a seasonal main ingredient, sweet potato, as the base for the gnocchi. And if a brown butter sage sauce with pancetta doesn't warm you up, nothing will. 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce and Pancetta

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Servings: 25
Ingredients
  • 2 cups mashed or canned sweet potato
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 3/4 cup cubed pancetta
  • shredded parmesan

Photo by Ethan Cappello

Step 1

Combine the mashed sweet potato, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

Photo by Ethan Cappello

Step 2

Begin adding flour by the 1/2 cup to your sweet potato mixture, mixing well after each addition. It'll probably be easier to mix using your hands. Continue adding flour until it feels like a pasta dough (smooth, not too sticky).

Photo by Ethan Cappello

Step 3

Once you've mixed in all the flour you need and have a soft dough that's not too sticky, begin to separate it into six equal, round portions.

Photo by Ethan Cappello

Step 4

Before starting on the next step, fill a large pot with water and some salt and set it to boil. On a surface dusted with flour, begin rolling each of the six rounds into logs that are 1/2 - 1 inch thick and 7 - 10 inches in length. Use a knife to cut the logs into 1 - 1 1/2 inch pieces, dusting the knife to prevent sticking.

Photo by Ethan Cappello

Step 5

When the water has come to a boil and all the gnocchi are cut, reduce the heat so it is at a simmer and prepare to drop in the gnocchi. Do this in stages, dropping only a third or a half of them in at a time. You can expect the gnocchi to sink to the bottom, so use a spoon to keep them from sticking there. After about five minutes, you can remove the gnocchi from the water.

Photo by Ethan Cappello

Step 6

While your second batch of gnocchi are cooking, add 3/4 cup of cubed pancetta to a pan with no oil. Cook on medium heat for about five minutes, until the pancetta pieces are crispy and slightly browned. Remove the pancetta from heat and set aside.

Photo by Ethan Cappello

Step 7

After all your gnocchi are cooked, heat 1/2 cup of butter in a sauce pan. Add in the chopped sage. Keep it on a medium-low heat until sauce starts to brown and smell nutty. Lower the heat and add finished gnocchi and crispy pancetta.

Photo by Ethan Cappello

Step 8

Top gnocchi with your desired amount of cheese and dig in.

Photo by Ethan Cappello