Feel the dough: Gnocchi dough doesn’t have to give you nightmares. The texture you want is like softened Toll House cookie dough. So if your dough is too sticky, add a little flour at a time, but don’t knead it too hard—that will make the gnocchi tough little cookies.

For the GNOCCHI
1 pound sweet potato (about 1 large)
1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more if necessary
For the SAUCE
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/4 cup torn fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound sweet potato (about 1 large) 1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more if necessary 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter 1/4 cup torn fresh sage leaves 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish

MAKE THE GNOCCHI:
1. Pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave on high until it is very soft, 12 to 13 minutes.

2. When the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, peel it and mash the flesh with a potato masher or ricer in a medium bowl until smooth.

3. Stir in the ricotta, pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt, then scatter the flour into the mixture. Mix with a fork until a doughy mixture forms that are loose and shaggy but doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl; if necessary, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

4. In a large pasta pot, bring a gallon of water to a boil over high heat and salt it until it tastes good.

5. Flour your work surface and dump the dough onto it. Flour your hands and gently knead the dough 10 times—by folding the dough in half, pressing gently with the heel of your hand, and turning it 90 degrees each time —until it is no longer sticky. Add sprinkles of flour when necessary, but the less flour you use, the more tender the gnocchi will be.

6. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and gently roll them into balls. On a floured surface, using your hands, roll one ball of dough into a 12-inch-long, 1-inch-thick log.

7. Use a paring knife to cut the dough crosswise into twelve 1-inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough balls to form about 36 gnocchi.

8. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, stirring after about 1 minute to ensure they aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot, and cook until they float to the surface for a few seconds and are tender-firm, 4 to 5 minutes.

MAKE THE SAUCE:

9. While the gnocchi is cooking, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the sage and cook until the sage is crispy and the butter is browned about 3 minutes.

10. Drain the gnocchi (don’t rinse it) and add it to the skillet. Toss to coat in the butter, add the Parm, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

11. Divide among bowls and garnish with more Parm.