Cook with Us #26 - Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Bacon and Mushroom Cream Sauce

Hello, my fellow Steemians! I'm back with another @cookwithus challenge. As I said in my last post I injured myself on the offseason, so I missed the homework assignment but I'm back for season 3! This week is root vegetables and I'm going to be making Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Bacon and Mushroom Cream Sauce. These soft, pillowy dumplings are a great winter meal. They are a great comfort food. The slight sweetness from the potatoes really combines nicely with the saltiness of the bacon to make a great sweet and savory pasta. The word "gnocchi" has an unknown origin. It is thought that it might come from the word nocca, Italian for knuckle. Implying the small and tight shape of the pasta. I have always thought of gnocchi as exclusively potato. In looking up the history it seems that before the potato made its way to Italy gnocchi were in existence but made with different ingredients such as breadcrumbs and squash. Gnocchi as we know them today date back to the sixteenth or seventeenth century when Spanish explorers brought potatoes from South America and introduced them to European kitchens. I read that Thursdays are traditional gnocchi days in and around Rome and it just so happens I am making these on Thursday!

Ingredients:
for the gnocchi:
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 cups once mashed)
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
2-3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
for the sauce:
1/2 lb bacon
1 lb of mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1/2 cup of whipping cream
1/2 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. With a fork poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake for 45 minutes or until they are soft and tender. Slice the cooked potatoes in half and place aside to cool. Once cool remove the skins and mash with a ricer or fork. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet, and put bacon on the rack. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or to your preferred doneness. Take out of the oven and place on paper towels. Set aside. Reserve bacon fat.

In a large mixing bowl combine the sweet potatoes, ricotta, egg, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Stir the mixture until just combined. If the dough is wet add flour a tablespoon at a time until you can roll it into a sticky dough ball.

Flour your work surface and turn dough onto the counter. Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Take one of the pieces of dough and roll it into a rope about one inch thick and with a dough scraper cut into bite-size pieces. Repeat the process for the 3 remaining sections of dough.

Using a fork or cheese grater make indentations into the gnocchi, this will give the dumplings texture so the sauce will adhere to the gnocchi better. Place the pieces on a baking sheet dusted with flour. Cover and place baking sheet in the refrigerator for 1 hour. The gnocchi can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours and be boiled right before eating.

For the sauce add bacon drippings to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and salt and pepper to skillet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and browned. Add the cream, parmesan, and broth to the mixture and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly. Crumble the bacon and add to the sauce with the vinegar, and stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer.

While the mushrooms are cooking bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the gnocchi to the water. Boil until they float to the top of the pot and are cooked through about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and add right into the sauce. Gently toss to combine. If the sauce gets to thick you can add a little gnocchi water to thin it out a little.

Grate a little fresh parmesan on top and serve. All right that's all I've got this time around, let me know how you like the dish. Bon Appetit! -@slowcookingchef

Kitchen Music: Alabama Shakes- Boys and Girls