Gnocchi with Browned Butter & Sage

This Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Sage is my go-to special comfort meal. Taking simple, humble ingredients and transforming them into pillowy bites with crispy outer edges is a magical experience. Pair them with a rich, nutty browned butter and aromatic sage, and this recipe is sure to wow.

Enjoy with a glass of Burgundy Chardonnay to compliment this cozy dish.

Ingredients

• Gnocchi
• 1 lb russet potato
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sea salt
• Browned Butter
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp sage, finely chopped
• Sea salt

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot about ¾ full with water, and bring to a boil. Add whole russet potatoes with the skin on for 20-25 minutes, or until fork tender.
2. Remove from the water, and allow to cool just enough, so you can handle them. Once potatoes have cooled enough that you can handle them, remove skin (you can often just peel this by hand) and rice or mash potatoes, removing any chunks.
3. Form riced potatoes into a mound on a floured surface. Add flour, and begin incorporating into a dough by kneading by hand. Knead just enough to form a single dough mass and roll into a smooth loaf.
4. Before forming your gnocchi, heat a large pot of water and 2 tbsp of salt to a boil.
5. As the water is heating, we are ready to form the gnocchi into that signature shape. Begin by cutting your dough into four equal portions. Roll one portion into a long snake about the diameter of a quarter.
6. Cut the snake into small, bite-sized pieces using a bench scraper or knife. These will be the size of your gnocchi, so it’s up to you how small or large you make them, but remember that they will expand slightly when cooked.
7. Repeat the rolling and cutting for all four portions. Mark each gnocchi by gently pressing into them with a fork, or rolling them on a gnocchi board.
8. Toss a couple of handfuls of gnocchi into your boiling water and allow to cook until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon as they float to the top. Place the cooked gnocchi on a baking sheet. Spread slightly, so they don’t stick together. Do this in batches and repeat until all of the gnocchi is boiled.
   1. Note: create layers of gnocchi with parchment paper in between if you run out of space on the baking sheet.
9. Once the gnocchi is cooked, preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Add two tablespoons of butter. Allow to heat and cook until it is browned, about 3-4 minutes. Chop the sage, and add half of it to the pan. Stir and cook until aromatic.
10. Add about ¼ of the gnocchi to form a single layer on the skillet and sear each side in the browned butter until golden and lightly crisped, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and repeat.
11. After two batches of gnocchi, add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to the pan, and repeat the browning by cooking for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining sage and stir, cooking until aromatic.
12. Brown the remaining two portions of the gnocchi. Portion into four bowls, add a pinch of salt to each bowl, and serve.

Maddie is a Minneapolis-based recipe developer and food photographer with a background in Food Engineering and Nutrition. Maddie utilizes her scientific understanding of food to create delicious recipes that are worth repeating. When she’s not experimenting in her kitchen, she’s exploring new cities around the world or fostering pups to help them adjust to the good life and find their forever homes! You can find more of Maddie’s work (and follow her cute fosters) on Instagram or maddieaugustin.com.