Gnocchi with Sage Butter
Overview
Potato gnocchi tossed in butter with garlic, sage and Parmesan. It is Italian, and it is filed under Worldwide Recipes with its URL unchanged. Gnocchi are small dumplings rather than pasta in the strict sense, made from cooked mashed potato bound with flour and usually egg, though ricotta versions exist and are lighter. The pairing with butter and sage is the classic one, and it works because gnocchi are mild and starchy: browned butter and the resinous, faintly medicinal note of sage give it something to push against, and nothing more elaborate is needed. One thing the source gets right and is worth repeating: gnocchi are done when they float. They are cooked through the moment they rise to the surface of the water, usually within two or three minutes, and leaving them in longer makes them waterlogged and heavy. This is one of the few pasta-adjacent things with a completely reliable visual signal. Its freezing advice is also sound. Gnocchi should be frozen raw, spread out on a tray until solid, then bagged, and cooked from frozen. Thawing them first turns them to paste. The source contains an amusing error: it says gnocchi is the plural of gnocchi. The singular is gnocco.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil over high heat.
- 2
Tip in the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. That is the signal they are done, leaving them longer makes them heavy. Drain.
- 3
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- 4
Put in the garlic and cook until it has softened and is beginning to turn golden, about 4 minutes.
- 5
Mix in the sage and salt for a few seconds, then tip in the drained gnocchi.
- 6
Toss gently with a quarter cup of the Parmesan and the black pepper.
- 7
Scatter the remaining Parmesan over and serve immediately.
Africook’s Notes
- Take them out the moment they float. It is a completely reliable signal and overcooked gnocchi are waterlogged and heavy.
- Toss gently. Gnocchi are fragile and vigorous stirring breaks them apart.
- Let the butter take a little colour before the gnocchi go in. Browned butter is a different and better thing than melted butter here.
- Fresh sage is considerably better than dried if you can get it, and it crisps in the butter.
- Serve immediately. Gnocchi in butter stiffen and stick together within a couple of minutes of sitting.
- To freeze, freeze them raw on a tray until solid, then bag them and cook from frozen. Thawing first ruins the texture.
Questions cooks ask
What are gnocchi?
Small dumplings, usually made from cooked mashed potato bound with flour and often egg. They are commonly grouped with pasta but are structurally different, softer, denser and made from potato rather than durum wheat. Ricotta gnocchi, made without potato, are lighter still. The name is Italian and the singular is gnocco, which the original source gets wrong in an entertaining way.
How do I know when gnocchi are cooked?
They float. Gnocchi sink when they go into the boiling water and rise to the surface when they are cooked through, usually within two or three minutes. This is one of the most reliable visual signals in cooking, and the mistake almost everyone makes is leaving them in after they surface, a few extra minutes makes them waterlogged, heavy and inclined to fall apart in the pan.
Why butter and sage?
Because gnocchi are mild and starchy and need something with character alongside them. Butter, browned slightly, gives richness and a nutty depth; sage is resinous and faintly bitter, which cuts through it. Together they season the gnocchi without competing with them. It is the classic Northern Italian pairing and it survives because more elaborate sauces tend to overwhelm the dumplings rather than complement them.
Can I freeze gnocchi?
Yes, and the method matters. Freeze them raw and unshaped-in-a-clump: spread them in a single layer on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to bags. Cook them straight from frozen in boiling water, allowing a minute or so extra. Do not thaw them first, thawed raw gnocchi collapse into a paste, because the potato structure that holds them together does not survive the water released as they defrost.
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