Baked sweet potatoes with maple dressing

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 55 minutes; Serves: 4

Sweet potatoes, preferably yellow	4 medium
Butter, unsalted; room temperature	2 tablespoons
Salt, fine sea
Crème fraîche	½ cup
Maple syrup	1 tablespoon
Lime juice, freshly squeezed	1 tablespoon
Fish sauce	2 teaspoons
Black pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Scallions, thinly sliced, both green and white parts	2 tablespoons
Pinenuts, roasted	2 tablespoons
Red chile flakes	1 teaspoon
Lime zest	½ teaspoon

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. 
2. Rinse and scrub the potatoes under running tap water. 
3. Slice them lengthwise, and place them in a roasting pan, cut side facing up. 
4. Brush or smear with butter, and season with salt. 
5. Cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil and press around the edges to seal snugly. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil, flip the potatoes, and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes more, until the potatoes are cooked thoroughly and are tender. 
7. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. 
8. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, maple syrup, lime juice, fish sauce, and pepper; season to taste with salt.
9. In another small bowl, combine the scallions, pine nuts, chile flakes, and lime zest.
10. To serve, top the warm roasted potatoes with a few tablespoons of the dressing, and sprinkle with the scallion-nut mixture. 

Recipe adapted from Food52.

Vodka prawn pappardelle

Pancetta, diced	½ cup
Shallot, diced	1 large
Water	1 cup
Marinara sauce	3 ½ cups
Vodka	¼ cup
Prawns, large, uncooked, frozen, shells removed	¾ pound
Tomatoes, stewed	14.5 ounces
Garlic, crushed	2 tablespoons
Butter	2 tablespoons
Cream, heavy	½ cup
Cheese, Parmesan, grated	¼ cup +
Cream cheese	2 ounces
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Basil leaves, torn	½ cup +
Tomatoes, sun dried, chopped	¼ cup
Pine nuts, toasted	¼ cup
Pappardelle pasta, cooked dente	3 cups

Note: This recipe uses an Instant Pot (IP).

1. Press Sauté, and then press Adjust to select the Normal setting. 
2. After the IP reads “Hot,” add the pancetta, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. 
3. Add the shallot, and cook 2 minutes, stirring often. 
4. Press Cancel/Keep Warm, add the water, and stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. 
5. Add the shrimp, stewed tomatoes, marinara sauce, vodka, garlic, and butter, stirring to combine well. 
6. Secure the lid, press Manual, and set the timer to 7 minutes; use the quick-release method to release the pressure, and remove the lid. 
7. Stir well for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any stuck bits. 
8. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and cream cheese, in succession, stirring until well incorporated between each addition. 
9. Stir in the basil and sun-dried tomatoes. 
10. Add the pasta to the pot, toss well to coat with the sauce, and divide among serving bowls. 
11. Top with toasted pine nuts, additional basil and Parmesan, and serve!

Recipe heavily adapted from http://pressureluckcooking.com/recipe/instant-pot-rigatoni-alla-vodka/

Sweet potato gnocchi with mint-pine nut pesto

Pine nuts	½ cup
Mint leaves, chopped	¼ cup
Lemon zest, finely grated	1 teaspoon
Lemon juice	2 tablespoons
Oil, extra-virgin olive	¼ cup + 2 tablespoons
Salt, gray sea
Sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced ½-inch thick	1 ¾ pounds
Flour, gluten-free	1 cup
Cornstarch	5 tablespoons
Thyme leaves	Garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. 
2. Spread the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 3 minutes. 
3. Transfer the nuts to a work surface, and let cool, then chop; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the mint, zest, juice, and ¼-cup oil; season with salt. 
4. On a large rimmed baking sheet, spread the potatoes in a single layer. 
5. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes. 
6. Transfer to a food processor, and let cool, then pulse until smooth. 
7. Scrape the pureed potatoes into a large bowl, and stir in the flour, cornstarch, and 1-teaspoon salt. 
8. Lightly dust a rimmed baking sheet with flour. 
9. On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into eight pieces, and roll each piece in a ½-inch-thick rope, about 15 inches long. 
10. Using a knife, cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces. 
11. Roll each piece against the tines of a fork to make ridges, and transfer to the floured baking sheet. 
12. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the gnocchi until they rise to the surface, then cook 1 minute longer. 
13. Drain well and transfer to a serving bowl. 
14. Toss with 2-tablespoons oil, then spoon the pesto on top. 
15. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and more salt; serve. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, August 2017.