Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi
When I think of a dish that gives me the fuzziest, coziest feeling, and feels just like a warm hug, I think of gnocchi. YES, GNOCCHI. You probably thought I'd say something like soup. No, thanks. Gnocchi is where it’s at. Pillowy, soft, perfectly squishy, and bathed in a delicious brown butter sauce, it doesn’t get much better than that. Gnocchi was my favorite food for about five years when I was growing up, so it’s safe to say it holds a very special place in my little foodie heart. And this is the recipe I always come back to when I want to make myself a nice bowl of gnocchi to brighten up my day.
The dough is only five ingredients (technically four, if you don’t count the salt, which you shouldn’t because, really, who doesn’t have salt in 2025??!!?), and it comes together super easily. The hardest part of this recipe is literally waiting for the potatoes to boil (!!!), which is not a problem, because you can totally use that time to watch my video below on how I make them. : ) If you’re a visual learner like me, this will make your life easier when you’re making the recipe.
Now, let’s talk about the sauce. We all know brown butter is that girl, and paired with sage, the combination is just to die for. Plus, it’s such an easy sauce to make! Takes 5 minutes, but the flavors are so elevated your guests will think it took you way longer than that. Beats having to stand at the stove for 3 hours making a bolognese, if you ask me, and it’s just as good. I hope you enjoy them! If you make them, DM me a pic on instagram @vanillabeandiaries ! I’d love to see how it turns out. Xoxo <3
Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi
*serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 kg potatoes, weighed, then peeled and quartered
280 grams all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
For the brown butter sage sauce:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, divided
The leaves from 5 sprigs of fresh sage
1/2 cup freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese
Salt & fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
Instructions
1) To make the gnocchi, wash and peel your potatoes. Cut them into quarters, and place them in a large pot. Cover with cold water and add a good pinch of salt. Give it a mix, and place over high heat until it comes to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-25 minutes (cooking time will depend on the size and kind of your potatoes). Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl to let cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
2) While the potatoes cool, whisk together the flour, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3) Using a potato ricer or a food mill, mash your potatoes into a large, wide bowl. Shape the mashed potatoes into a circle, and make a well in the center with your hands, or with the back of a spoon. To the well, add the egg yolks, and using a fork, start to mix them into the potatoes. Once the yolks have been partially incorporated, switch to using clean hands and mix them in fully into the potato mixture.
4) Add in the dry ingredients to the egg and potato mixture and use your fork or a spatula to start bringing the mixture together. Then, switch to using your hands, and knead the mixture slightly, just until it comes together, for 1-2 minutes, before dumping it onto a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, bring the dough together fully on the work surface. It is very important that you don’t knead or overwork the dough! You just want to bring it together until it has just all fully incorporated, and there aren’t any huge flour or egg streaks remaining. The dough should be soft and supple, but not overly sticky; if it is, you can add about a tablespoon of flour at a time (be careful, you don’t want to add too much, as the gnocchi can turn out tough). Once you’ve gotten to this point, divide the dough in two with a sharp knife, and make each half into a disk shape.
5) Cut each disk into 6 pieces, like a pie. Work with one piece at a time, and make sure to keep the remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, so the dough doesn’t dry out. Take your piece of dough and place it onto a lightly floured surface, I like doing this on a large wooden cutting board. Roll the piece of dough into a ball, then roll that ball into a snake/rope, about 2 cm or 1 inch in thickness. Cut the strip of dough with a sharp, floured knife to your desired size (I think a good size is about the size of the pad of your thumb!). *At this stage, you can use a floured gnocchi board (or the back of your fork) to give the gnocchi ridges, but this is optional. Place the cut gnocchi onto a baking sheet dusted with flour or semolina, sprinkle more flour/semolina on top, and repeat the rolling and cutting process until you’ve run out of dough.
6) Set a large pot of generously salted water to boil. While this comes to a boil, start on your sauce. Take 3 tablespoons of the butter, cut them up into small cubes, and place in the freezer. Then, add your remaining 9 tablespoons of butter to a large pan with high sides (large enough that your gnocchi will fit in one single layer for the most part), along with the leaves from three sprigs of sage (or, 3/5ths of your sage leaves). Place over medium- high, and start making the brown butter. First, the butter will melt, then bubble, and then, a couple of minutes in, it will start to darken in color. You want to cook the butter and sage leaves, stirring frequently, until the butter has just reached a beautiful amber color. Once the butter reaches that hue, immediately remove from the heat and use a spider or a slotted spoon to take out the sage leaves from the butter, and set them aside on a plate.
7) Once the water is boiling, add your gnocchi, stir, and cook until they float, 2-4 minutes. While they cook, add the remaining leaves from two sage sprigs into the pan with the brown butter. Place the pan over medium-low heat while the gnocchis boil. Once the gnocchis float, use a slotted spoon or a spider to transfer them directly into the pan in a single layer. Add a bit of pasta water (start with about 1/4 cup), and gently stir to coat the gnocchi in the sauce. Add a few grinds of black pepper, your fresh-grated nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning again if needed.
8) Remove your cold butter cubes from the freezer, and sprinkle them over the gnocchi. Toss the gnocchi in the pan to emulsify the sauce. The sauce will be emulsified once the butter cubes have melted and incorporated, leaving behind a sauce that is glossy, creamy-looking, and even. Once it’s as thick as you want, turn off the heat and plate your gnocchi. Garnish with the reserved crispy sage leaves, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, black pepper and/or a few gratings of nutmeg.
