Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter Recipe
Gnocchi are soft Italian potato dumplings, something between Polish kopytka and lazy dumplings. In this version they’re served with a simple but very aromatic sage butter. It’s a classic dish from northern Italy, perfect for a family meal.
This dish is associated with home-style cooking in northern Italy, especially Lombardy and Trentino, where potatoes and butter are staples in many dishes. Sage butter is a classic, minimalist sauce for gnocchi, ravioli, or tortellini.
Potato gnocchi with sage butter combine the soft, pillow-like texture of the dumplings with the nutty aroma of browned butter and the intense fragrance of sage. It’s a dish from northern Italy, where in winter people look for hearty meals that are still simple and based on just a few ingredients.
Why this version works
- Cooking the potatoes in their skins limits how much water they absorb, so the dough needs less flour.
- Pressing warm potatoes through a ricer gives a fluffy, even texture without lumps.
- Adding the flour gradually helps keep the gnocchi soft instead of dense and heavy.
- The butter is lightly browned, so the sauce has a deeper, nutty flavor with minimal ingredients.
Chef's tips
Always press cooked potatoes through a ricer while they’re still warm and let them steam off a bit – this makes the dough lighter and it will take up less flour. Add the flour gradually, only as much as needed for the dough to stop sticking; too much flour means hard, rubbery gnocchi. The dumplings are done when they float to the surface and cook for another 30–40 seconds – no longer, or they will fall apart.
How to serve
Serve the gnocchi immediately after tossing with the sage butter, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan and a little pepper. They pair beautifully with a light white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, or simply a glass of dry cider for a Sunday lunch. As a side, you can serve a simple mixed-leaf salad with a lemon vinaigrette to cut through the buttery richness.
Watch out for
- Do not knead the dough for too long – overworking activates the gluten and the dumplings become tough.
- Do not add all the flour at once; once the dough holds together and is only slightly sticky, stop adding more.
- Do not cook the gnocchi for long after they float to the surface, or they will start to fall apart and turn watery.
- Watch the sage butter closely – it takes only a few seconds to go from golden to burnt.
Substitutions
- Instead of Parmesan, use Grana Padano or another hard, aged cheese.
- If you don’t have fresh sage, use clarified butter with a little fresh thyme, keeping in mind the flavor will be different.
- You can make the gnocchi with potatoes cooked the day before, reheated in a steamer and thoroughly dried out.
Ingredients
- starchy potatoes (e.g. for mash) weight before cooking - 800 g
- flour plus a little extra for dusting - 200 g
- egg yolk - 1 piece
- salt for the dough and the cooking water
- butter - 80 g
- fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried - 10 piece
- grated Parmesan for serving - 40 g
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly and cook them in their skins in salted water until tender when pierced with a fork (about 20–25 minutes, depending on size). Drain and set aside for a few minutes to steam off.
- While the potatoes are still warm but cool enough to handle, peel them. Press through a potato ricer or mash very thoroughly so there are no lumps. Leave to cool completely – this is important so the dough doesn’t become too sticky.
- On a board or work surface, spread out the flour, add the cooled potatoes, egg yolk and a pinch of salt. Gently knead the dough just until the ingredients come together. If it’s very sticky, add a little more flour, but try not to overdo it – the less flour you use, the softer the gnocchi will be.
- Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each into a rope about 2 cm thick, dusting lightly with flour. Cut the rope into pieces about 2 cm wide to form small dumplings.
- If you like, you can give the gnocchi a classic pattern: gently press each piece with a fork, rolling it along the tines – this helps the sauce cling better.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi in batches, stirring gently so they don’t stick to the bottom. Cook until they float to the surface, then for another 1–2 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sage butter: in a large pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and fry for 2–3 minutes, until the butter starts to foam lightly and develops a nutty aroma, and the sage turns crisp but not burnt.
- Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan with the sage butter. Gently toss the pan or very carefully stir so the dumplings are coated with the butter.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
Storage
Uncooked gnocchi can be frozen on a tray, then transferred to a bag or container and cooked from frozen in boiling salted water. Cooked gnocchi are best eaten fresh, but you can reheat them gently in a pan with a little butter the next day.
I most often make these gnocchi when I have leftover potatoes from a weekend dinner – you just need to reheat them in a steamer and turn them into dough. It’s also my go-to dish when friends with kids come over, because everyone loves shaping the little dumplings together around the kitchen table.
