SAGE AND BROWN BUTTER GNOCCHI
Sage and Brown Butter Gnocchi is a very delicious yet simple dish. This nutty, golden brown butter is infused with the flavour of fragrant sage and exquisitely flavours soft, pillowy gnocchi. As butter browns, gradually giving off an aromatic toasty flavour, sage leaves fry until they turn crispy, thereby adding a rich herbal note. Though pretty easy to prepare, this Italian-inspired recipe delivers quite an incredible depth of flavour that speaks to indulgence. Whether served as a night over an intimate dinner or as a side to add to the rest of a bigger meal, this gnocchi is incredible because it will make any dinner that much deeper and stronger.
RECIPE CATEGORY
Lunch, Dinner, Entrée, Side
SERVING SIZE
1
CUISINE
Italian, Mediterranean, European
PREPARATION / TECHNIQUES
Pan-Fry, Sauté, One-Pot Wonders
OCCASION / HOLIDAY
Fall, Winter, Weeknight Dinner, Anniversary, Comfort Food, Date Night
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION / DIETARY CONCERNS
Vegetarian, Quick & Easy, Low Sugar
DISH TYPE
Pasta, Entrée, Side Dish, Comfort Food
INGREDIENTS
- 100g gnocchi
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt & pepper, to taste
FULL NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (PER SERVING)
- Calories: 320
- Protein: 6g
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fibre: 2g
- Sodium: 150mg
PREPARATION OF SAGE AND BROWN BUTTER GNOCCHI
- Cook the gnocchi: Bring salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi, according to package instructions, for about 2 to 3 minutes. Gnocchi is done when it floats to the surface. Drain and reserve.
- Brown the butter: Brown butter – melt butter in a small skillet over medium. This is going to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on occasion. Swirl pan till butter starts to foam into golden brown colour. You know it is ready by the nutty aroma, so watch closely so you do not burn.
- Add sage: Then add chopped sage leaves when the butter has browned. Fry sage in butter for about 30 to 45 seconds or until crispy and fragrant. This lets the sage release its essential oils into the butter so all flavour is infused.
- Toss with gnocchi: Now add the gnocchi, having removed excess water, to the pan. Stir everything well so that the gnocchi are lightly coated with butter and crunchy sage. Allow the gnocchi to lightly fry in butter for maybe 1-2 minutes, absorbing flavours.
- Season and serve: Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve piping hot on a plate, garnished with additional crispy sage leaves if desired.
PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOKING TIME
10 minutes
TIPS
- I used only fresh quality butter for the best flavour. Butter richness is what makes this dish.
- You can get a little texture crunch with the sage, crisp in butter without letting it burn – 30 seconds should be enough.
- Add a teaspoon of grated Parmesan when browning it in butter to really bring out nutty flavours.”.
- Then you can add in a splash of heavy cream or a small knob of cream cheese to richen after adding in the gnocchi.
VARIATIONS
- Adding mushrooms or spinach to your dish makes it even tastier and more healthy.
- A healthier alternative is to use sweet potato gnocchi or whole wheat gnocchi.
- It can be made even more substantial by adding pancetta or grilled chicken strips.
- Butternut squash ravioli is substituted for the gnocchi and gives this dish a lovely autumnal flavour.
PREPPING AND STORAGE
- Fridge: Reheat leftover chunks in an airtight container kept refrigerated for up to 2 days tenderly over medium heat with a little more butter or olive oil to revive its richness.
- Freezing: Cooked gnocchi with butter sauce can be frozen for up to 1 month. Of course, the texture will be slightly altered. You reheat it from the frozen state by pan-frying it lightly with a little butter.