Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Shrimp and Creamy Sauce

Make the gnocchi dough

1. Wash and and poke a few holes in each sweet potato.
2. Microwave potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until they are soft.
3. Let the potatoes cool enough to be able to remove the skin.
4. Place the potato flesh in a medium sized bowl and mash the potatoes until they are completely smooth with no lumps.
5. Add in the egg and mix thoroughly.
6. Sprinkle ½ cup of flour onto a cutting board or countertop.
7. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 and ½ cups of the flour in bathes of ½ cup and blend together completely.
8. Knead the pasta dough for 5 minutes, adding in flour when it gets a sticky.
9. Once you have formed a solid round dough, slice it in half and then slice each half in half again so you have 4 equal sizes. Then slice each of those quarters in half so you have 8 equal pieces of dough.
10. Roll each of the sections of dough into long strips, approx ½ inch thick.
11. Then cut each strip into 1 inch long gnocchi pieces (You can press each piece with the prongs of a fork if you’d like to get the traditional gnocchi look that soaks up the sauce nicely)

Cook the gnocchi:

1. Boil a large pot of water over high heat with about 2 teaspoons of salt.
2. Add several pieces of gnocchi to the water and boil for approx. 2-3 minutes until they float to the top.
3. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place on a plate.

For the Shrimp and Creamy Sauce:

1. While cooking the gnocchi in batches, prepare the shrimp and sauce.
2. Add the butter to a large saute pan and melt over medium high heat.
3. Add the shrimp, diced sun-dried tomatoes and pepper to the pan and cook for approx. 4 minutes tossing the shrimp until they turn pink.
4. Mix the 1 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour.
5. Pour the milk mixture in with the shrimp and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
7. Add the amount of cooked gnocchi and red pepper flakes you prefer into the sauce and stir to coat thoroughly.
8. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired