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Gnocchi with butter and sage

Across Italy

Gnocchi with butter and sage

Gnocchi with butter and sage

Low-moisture potatoes form light gnocchi that are lifted directly into nutty browned butter and sage, then finished with Parmigiano and optional lemon.

105 min · Difficulty ●●○○○

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Dishes in this family

Each dish keeps its own guide; compare the ingredient and preparation differences here.

Tajarin al tartufo biancoTajarin, an extremely thin fresh egg pasta made with a high proportion of egg yolks, is tossed with nothing but melted butter and topped with shaved white truffle. Unlike the four dry-pasta dishes, the forks here are the dough's own yolk ratio and the thickness of the hand-cut noodle itself.Read this dish →

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Meet the dish

Potato gnocchi finished simply with browned butter and sage

Soft potato gnocchi carry the aroma of brown butter and sage. A quick toss preserves their delicate texture.

Pasta shapes to use

  • Homemade gnocchi made with dry, starchy potatoes and flour

Key ingredients

  • Starchy potatoes
  • Flour
  • Butter
  • Fresh sage
  • Parmigiano
  • Lemon

Follow the cooking scenes

  1. Gnocchi with Butter and Sage: cutting potato dough into gnocchi.

    Step 1: Dry the potatoes and shape

    Cook potatoes until soft, rice them hot, and let steam escape. Mix in only enough flour for a light dough, roll into ropes, cut into bite-size pieces, and keep them separated on a floured surface.

  2. Gnocchi with Butter and Sage: heating foaming butter until browned and nutty.

    Step 2: Brown the butter

    Heat butter until the milk solids turn brown and smell nutty, then take the skillet off the heat.

  3. Gnocchi with Butter and Sage: transferring floating gnocchi into sage butter.

    Step 3: Boil and coat

    Cook until the gnocchi float. Drain briefly, toss quickly in the sage butter, and remove from the heat. Serve with cheese and lemon.

What to watch for

  • Let steam escape from the potatoes and resist adding excess flour. Strong kneading develops gluten and removes the pillowy texture.
  • Take browned butter off the heat while the gnocchi cook so residual heat does not burn it.

What sets it apart

No cream or tomato masks the dumplings; browned milk solids and crisp sage provide the defining aroma.