Ultra rich, fluffy and soft Gnocchi is definitely one of my favourite things to eat in the cold weather. It wasn’t always something I enjoyed, but a recent endeavor at a restaurant proved that the humble gnocchi could easily be a light and incredibly tasty dinner.
Personally I don’t think you can go wrong with tasty gnocchi in a delicious burnt butter and sage sauce – and the best thing about it, making this at home is really easy!
The burnt butter and sage sauce actually ends up being quite a light sauce and I like brightening up the richness with some lemon. In this recipe I use the rind as well which will give you a really luxurious sauce that has a true balance of flavours.
Let’s talk about Potatoes
Making gnocchi at home from scratch is simple.
It’s a little bit of effort that goes a really long way. The tough part in the making process is boiling the potatoes, and achieving a really smooth gnocchi dough. The amount of flour is going to depend on your potatoes – if they are starchy they will use up more flour. I recommend starting this recipe with one cup and working your way up until you get the right dough consistency. Use your gut on this one, and just make sure the dough isn’t sticky.
The potatoes are the key! Most recipes will call for a potato ricer, but to be very honest I just don’t have the space in my current home to add another appliance like this. I like using a regular grater and mashing the potatoes further either with my hands or a wooden spoon to get a lovely creamy and smooth consistency.
If you really do want to get a potato ricer, you find great ones on Amazon!
Flavouring the Gnocchi
I use a fair bit of pepper along with chilli flakes to bump up the flavour in the gnocchi, but this is completely dependent on how peppery you enjoy your food. Use as much or as little as you prefer in this recipe. Also – use actual butter for this recipe.
Real good quality luxurious butter.
Not a butter spread, or an olive oil whip.
If you want that rich slightly salty and intense flavour, then you absolutely must use true butter.
Shaping the Gnocchi
Once you have you dough ready, you should find that it is quite pliable, moist and not sticky. Add more flour if the dough feels tacky until it no longer sticks to you.
The easiest way to shape the gnocchi is by taking a portion of the dough and rolling it out into a long tube roughly 2cm to an inch in thickness. I gently flatten the tube and then use a knife to cut 1 inch pieces of the gnocchi. This is the simplest way to shape the gnocchi without additional tools
You could alternatively buy some shaping tools. Here are some Gnocchi paddles available on Amazon
Boiling the Gnocchi
Let’s talk pillows of potato goodness here. These need to cook again in salted boiling water to cook through the egg and flour. This isn’t an exact science, but you have to make sure the little gnocchi pieces float to the top of the water – only then should you remove them. The salt in the water will help to stop the sticking, but if you don’t plan on cooking them straight away and leaving some for another meal, I recommend adding a touch of oil into the pot of water to further ensure the gnocchi stays loose.
With that, here is the recipe card!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. It’s so straight forward and so delicious!
Gnocchi in Burnt Butter & Sage sauce
Equipment
- Pot
- grater or potato ricer
- (optional) gnocchi paddle
Ingredients
- 900 g potatoes up to 1 kilo
- 1½ – 2 cups plain flour
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 200 g chilled & unsalted butter roughly 8 Tbsp.
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 bunch fresh sage leaves
- ½ lemon we need the grated rind and juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- chilli flakes optional
Instructions
- Boil un-peeled potatoes until you can easily insert a knife into them. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes
- As soon as the potatoes are okay to touch, peel then grate the potatoes. You want to work them while they are as hot as possible before cooling them completely.
- Use a spatula or your hands to mash the potatoes further. Be careful! The potatoes might still be very hot.
- Add 1 cup of the flour and knead through. You can do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand
- Once the dough has cooled a little, add the egg, salt and pepper and knead through further
- Check the dough at this point. You can it to be a little firm and not at all sticky. If the dough is sticky continue to add the flour ¼ cup at a time until you reach the right dough consistency
- Roll a small piece of dough into a long tube roughly 1/2 an inch thick. Remember to dust the surface with flour
- Use a small knife or butter knife to cut the dough into 1/2 inch pillows and set aside
- Boil a pot of water with some salt
- Use a slotted spoon to lower the prepared gnocchi into the hot water. Boil these until they begin to float to the top
- Remove the floating gnocchi and set aside on a tray
- In a pot or pan melt all the butter and use a wooden spoon to gently mix. Cook the butter until it just starts to bubble
- Add the sage leaves and grated lime rind into the butter and allow the sage to become crispy and the butter to just become golden. I added some chilli flakes and pepper at this point too
- As soon as the butter turns golden lower the heat and add in the prepared gnocchi. The butter will continue to cook, but the gnocchi will help to lower the temperature of the pan and ease the cooking
- Add the lemon juice and toss the gnocchi through really well
- Serve fresh!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Be sure to share your attempts with me @theminiaturelife on Instagram!
