Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Herbed White Wine Sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Make the Sweet Potato Gnocchi: Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake until soft and tender, about 45 minutes. Halve them, let cool and then finely mash or puree.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, ricotta, egg, 2 cups flour and salt. Stir the mixture until just combined. If the dough seems wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it can be formed into a ball. The dough should be sticky.

4. Generously flour a clean counter and scrape the dough out onto the counter. Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a rope about 1 inch thick and then cut into bite-size chunks. Repeat this process with the other pieces of dough and then place the gnocchi on a flour-dusted baking sheet. At this point, the gnocchi can be kept in the fridge, covered, for up to a day. 

5. Make the Herbed White Wine Sauce: Heat the butter and shallot in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the shallot is fragrant and the butter begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the thyme and rosemary; cook 1 minute. Add the wine and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce until it is reduced, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.

6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the top and are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the gnocchi using a slotted spoon or spider strainer and drop them right into the sauce, tossing gently to combine. If the sauce thickens up, add a splash of the gnocchi cooking water to thin it a bit. Serve topped with the shaved cheese.