A Festive Recipe from Piccolo Chef

Autumn Gnocchi

A hearty Autumn meal packed with antioxidants that your family will love! These tasty little gnocchi are chock-full of vitamins from the yams that will help your family stay healthy this flu season and keep you warm on those cool Autumn nights!  You can also use up those post-Thanksgiving yams and sweet potatoes to make a delicious and unique meal to wow your family and friends, leftovers have never tasted so good! And don't forget - get your kids in the kitchen with you to make these tasty morsels, their little fingers are perfect for rolling the little dumplings! Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed, skinless, freshly roasted yams or sweet potatoes, or pure canned yam puree

2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 large egg yolk

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped (optional)

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup freshly shaved Parmigiano cheese

Directions:

In large bowl, combine mashed yam and melted butter; add flour, yolk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Knead into soft dough (if necessary, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time); divide into 4 sections. On floured surface, roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness; cut into 3/4-inch pieces, rolling each piece against the tines of a fork or gnocchi board to create ridges. Repeat with remaining dough.

In large pot, bring 6 cups salted water to boil. Cook gnocchi in 2 batches; dropping into water and cooking 2 minutes or until pieces float. Remove with slotted spoon to warmed bowl.

Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add hazelnuts, sage, salt and pepper, cook 1 minute more. Drizzle Sage and Hazelnut butter over gnocchi and top with shaved Parmigiano.

Buon Appetito!!!

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