Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Brown Butter Sage Sauce

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sweet-potato-gnocchi-with-brown-butter-and-sage-233379

Makes 8-10 generous servings

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), rinsed, patted dry, pierced all over with fork
• 1 12-ounce container fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours 
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 3/4 cups (about) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Pierce sweet potatoes with fork, microwave on high until tender, about 7 minutes per side. Cut in half and cool. 

Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash; transfer 3 cups to large bowl. 

Add ricotta cheese; blend well. 

Add Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg; mash to blend. 

Mix in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. [this is a good point to refrigerate if you're cooking them another day]

Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.
Bring large pot of water to boil; add 2 tablespoons salt and return to boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes, until they float to top. 

Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet, cool (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

SAUCE

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Add chopped sage (mixture will bubble up). Turn off heat. Season sage butter generously with salt and pepper.
Transfer some of sage butter to large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add batch of gnocchi. 

Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes - they'll be toasted golden brown

Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls. Garnish with sage leaves.