Chef Johns Potato Gnocchi Recipes

Steps:

• Prick a sweet potato all over with a sharp knife and microwave until very soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
• Cut potato in half and scoop flesh into a bowl. Mash or blend until smooth. Add ricotta cheese, egg, kosher salt, and cayenne; mix with a spoon until smooth and combined. Stir in flour until mixture comes together into a sticky ball of dough, adding more flour as needed.
• Transfer to a floured surface and knead gently, adding flour as needed, until no longer sticky. Divide into 8 portions. Roll into ropes about 1/2-inch thick, using flour as needed. Dust ropes with flour and cut with a bench scraper into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer pieces onto a sheet pan and let dry on the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, or refrigerate until needed.
• While gnocchi dry, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Add butter and cook until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in rosemary. Reserve until needed.
• Stir gnocchi into the pot of boiling water and cook until they float to the top, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked gnocchi to the sauce.
• Heat over medium to medium-high heat, coat with sauce, and season with salt. Turn off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and top with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Steps:

• Place potato in microwave and cook on high setting until cooked through, about 7 minutes depending on the size of the potato.
• Split potato and remove flesh. Push flesh through strainer using the back of a wooden spoon in order to achieve a granular texture. Add a pinch of salt and let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour in beaten egg and stir, using the tines of a fork and trying not to mash the potato. Add about 1/3 cup flour and continue gently stirring gently with the tines of a fork until mixture starts to come together. You may need another pinch or two of flour. Fold mixture with a spatula until dough forms a mass, adding flour as needed. Using your fingers, knead dough gently to form ball, about 10 seconds.
• Shape dough into a fat log shape on a floured surface. Cut into 4 pieces. Gently roll each piece using your fingertips to form the "snake" or a long rope of dough, starting from the center and rolling toward the end until dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut each rope of dough into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Roll each 1/2-inch piece quickly down the back of a fork's tines to form ridges.
• Heat sauce in a skillet while you cook the gnocchi.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat so water continues to simmer. Add gnocchi to water. As soon as they float to the surface after half a minute or so, cook for an additional 14 seconds. Transfer cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon to the pan with the sauce. Stir until coated.
• Serve topped with grated cheese.

Steps:

• Briefly blanch basil leaves in simmering water, about 20 seconds. Transfer immediately to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain on towels. Place basil in bowl of a blender. Add eggs. Blend until basil is blended in and mixture achieves an even green color with flecks of basil.
• Place ricotta in a mixing bowl. Add basil/egg mixture, salt, cayenne, Parmesan cheese, and flour. Thoroughly mix together using a spatula; whisk mixture to ensure ingredient are evenly blended. Cover and refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours.
• Scoop out a small portion of dough using a teaspoon. Using a second spoon, shape into a rounded oval. Repeat until you have enough gnocchi for a batch, about 6 or so.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer. Drop shaped gnocchi in batches into pot as you form them. After a minute or so they will rise to the surface. Continue simmering until they spring back to the touch when you remove one from the water to test it, 2 to 3 more minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Optional step: Melt butter in a skillet until bubbling. Add cooked gnocchi and brown on each side. Serve with a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of the butter from the pan.