Gnocchi with Brown Sage Butter
Pillowy potato gnocchi tossed in nutty brown butter, studded with crisp sage leaves and finished with Parmigiano and lemon zest — simple, fast, utterly winning comfort food with an elegant, caramelised edge.
Make no mistake: this is the grown-up macaroni cheese of Italy. Gnocchi with sage butter is gloriously simple — a handful of ingredients, one pan, and a sauce that tastes like nostalgia and caramelised heaven.
Roasting the potatoes and using a little restraint with the flour gives you light, pillowy gnocchi that soak up the nutty brown butter and crisp sage. Perfect for a cosy midweek supper, dinner-party starter or anytime you need comfort with a little swagger.
Ingredients
- 900 g floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward or Yukon Gold)
- fine sea salt (for potato and cooking water) — about 2 tsp for potato skins, 1 tbsp for boiling water
- 250 g plain (all-purpose) flour — start with 250g; you may need 10% more depending on potato moisture
- 1 large egg — lightly beaten
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 20 g fresh sage leaves — about 20-25 leaves
- 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil — for frying sage (optional but recommended)
- 80 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Grana Padano)
- freshly ground black pepper — to taste
- zest of 1 lemon — optional, brightens the sauce
- 500 g store-bought fresh gnocchi (optional alternative) — use if you prefer to skip making gnocchi from scratch
Equipment
- potato ricer or fine grater
- gnocchi board or fork (optional)
- slotted spoon
- large sauté pan
- baking tray
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, rub with a little sea salt and place them directly on a baking tray. Roast until completely tender when pierced with a skewer, about 1 hour.
Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool just enough to handle — about 10 minutes. While still warm, halve and press the flesh through a potato ricer or fine grater onto a clean work surface. If you don't have a ricer, mash very finely but avoid lumps.
Make a mound of the riced potato, sprinkle 250g of the flour over it, make a well and add the beaten egg and a pinch of salt and a light grating of nutmeg if using. Gently fold with your hands until a soft dough forms. Add up to 25–50g more flour only if the dough is sticky — you want slightly tacky, not dry.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a long sausage about 2cm (¾in) thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 2cm pieces. If you like, roll each piece over a gnocchi board or the back of a fork to make ridges — this helps sauce cling.
Bring a large pan of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Have a large slotted spoon and a tray lined with a clean tea towel or semolina ready. Boil gnocchi in batches so they have room; theyre done when they float and an extra 30–60 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon to the tray.
While the gnocchi cook, make the brown sage butter. Melt 100g butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and a drizzle (1 tbsp) of olive oil. Fry until the butter smells nutty and turns golden-brown and the sage edges are crisp, 3–4 minutes. Watch constantly — butter can go from brown to burnt in seconds.
Add a ladle of the reserved gnocchi cooking water to the browned butter to loosen it into a glossy sauce (start with 60ml). Return the gnocchi to the pan in a single layer, toss gently to coat and finish cooking in the sauce for 1 minute so they pick up colour.
Remove from heat. Stir in 60g of the grated Parmesan and lemon zest if using. Taste and season with black pepper and a little extra sea salt only if needed (Parmesan is already salty). Serve immediately with the remaining Parmesan at the table.
If using store-bought fresh gnocchi (500g): skip steps 1–4. Bring salted water to the boil and cook according to pack instructions (usually 2–3 minutes until they float). Then finish in the sage butter as described in steps 6–8.
Tips
- Roast potatoes whole (in their skins) rather than boiling — it removes moisture and keeps gnocchi light.
- Add flour slowly. Dough should be soft and barely tacky; too much flour = heavy gnocchi.
- If the dough gets sticky while shaping, chill for 10 minutes. You can also dust boards with semolina to stop sticking.
- Reserve a good cup of gnocchi cooking water — the starchy liquid is your sauce binder.
- Brown butter can move from perfect to burnt quickly; watch for nutty aroma and golden milk solids, then remove from heat.
Substitutions
plain (all-purpose) flour → 00 flour or '00' plus a splash more — stays-close
Stays closeunsalted butter → use 80g salted butter and omit extra salt — stays-close
Stays closeParmigiano-Reggiano → pecorino Romano for a saltier, sharper finish — noticeably-different
Noticeably differentpotatoes (white) → sweet potatoes (use slightly less flour and expect denser, sweeter gnocchi) — noticeably-different
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 710
- Calories
- 21 g
- Protein
- 84 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use store-bought gnocchi?
Yes — use fresh store-bought gnocchi (about 500g). Cook as per pack and finish in the brown sage butter. Its quicker but slightly less pillowy than homemade.
Why are my gnocchi heavy or gummy?
Most likely too much flour or overworked dough. Use starchy, dry baked potatoes, add flour sparingly and handle the dough gently.
Can I make the gnocchi ahead?
You can shape them and freeze on a tray until firm, then transfer to a bag. Cook from frozen (do not thaw) — they will float when done. Avoid refrigerating raw gnocchi for long; they become sticky.
How do I brown butter without burning it?
Use a light-coloured pan so you can see the colour change, keep heat moderate, swirl constantly and remove from heat when milk solids turn golden and smell nutty.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!
