Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage
Three ingredients in the dough, one pan for the sauce. Sweet potato gnocchi are more forgiving than potato. The dough is wetter and stickier, but that is actually the point. You pipe it straight into the boiling water with a piping bag and scissors, no rolling, no board, no flour everywhere.
The sweet potato gives the gnocchi a naturally sweet, earthy depth that pairs perfectly with the nuttiness of brown butter and the slightly bitter crunch of fried sage. Finish with a blizzard of parmesan and serve immediately.
How to Make Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage
This comes together in four stages: microwave the sweet potato, mash and mix the dough, pipe into boiling water, then pan-fry in brown butter with sage. Each stage is simple, the piping bag is the only unusual step and it makes everything easier.
All Ingredients
1. Microwave and mash
- 1
Prick the sweet potatoes all over, microwave on high for 7 to 10 minutes turning once, until completely tender.
- 2
Cut in half, scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash thoroughly. Weigh it, you need 300 g.
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2. Mix the dough and pipe
- 1
Add the flour and salt and mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overwork it. Transfer to a piping bag.
- 2
Pipe the dough over simmering salted water, cutting with scissors every 2 to 3 cm. Cook until they float, then 30 seconds more. Remove with a slotted spoon.
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3. Brown butter and fry
- 1
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the gnocchi in a single layer and fry without moving until golden on the base, then toss and fry the other side.
- 2
Push the gnocchi to the side, add more butter and the sage leaves. Let the butter foam until golden and nutty and the sage turns crisp. Toss together, season, and serve immediately with parmesan.
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The Recipe
Prep10 min
Cook20 min
Total30 min
Serves2
DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
for 2 serves
Instructions
Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave on high for 7 to 10 minutes, turning once halfway, until completely tender when pierced.
Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash thoroughly with a fork until smooth. You need 300 to 350 g of cooked flesh, weigh it.
Add the flour and salt. Mix with a spoon first, then with your hands, until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overwork it. If the dough is extremely wet and shapeless, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a simmer. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or a zip-lock bag with one corner cut off).
Pipe the dough over the simmering water and cut with scissors every 2 to 3 cm, letting the gnocchi drop in. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook until they float to the surface, then give them another 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the gnocchi in a single layer and fry without moving for 1 to 2 minutes until golden on the base, then toss and fry the other side.
Push the gnocchi to the side and add more butter and the sage leaves. Let the butter foam and cook until golden and nutty, about 2 minutes, and the sage turns crisp. Toss everything together and season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately, topped with finely grated parmesan.
Tips & Notes
The piping bag is not optional
Sweet potato gnocchi dough is too sticky to roll by hand without adding so much extra flour that you lose the texture. A piping bag (or a zip-lock bag with one corner cut off) solves this entirely. Pipe directly into the simmering water and snip with scissors every 2 to 3 cm.
Do not overwork the dough
Mix until the flour is just incorporated. Overworked dough develops gluten and the gnocchi go tough and gluey. A shaggy, slightly tacky dough is correct.
The flesh weight matters
You need 300 to 350 g of cooked sweet potato flesh. Start with about 500 g of whole sweet potatoes, you will lose the skin and some moisture when scooping. Weigh the flesh before adding the flour.
Brown the butter
Do not just melt the butter. Let it keep cooking in the pan until it smells nutty and the milk solids turn golden brown. This is the difference between a sauce that tastes bland and one that makes people ask for the recipe.
Pan-fry in batches
If you crowd the pan the gnocchi will steam instead of fry. Work in a single layer with space between each piece. You want golden and slightly crispy on the outside.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 659 kcal
- Protein
- 13.3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 90.4 g
- Total Fat
- 27.1 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugars
- 7.1 g
- Sodium
- 1179 mg
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list using USDA reference data. Estimates only, and they will shift with brands, portion size and how much of any sauce or oil you actually eat.
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