Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

A delicious Sweet Potato Gnocchi with brown butter and sage sauce. This is a great fall dinner recipe for a cozy Sunday night meal! I won’t lie it takes a bit of time to make, but it’s a fun “weekend project” that can go pretty quickly if you have some friends or relatives around to help!

Have extra sweet potato on hand? Try my Sweet Potato Biscuits with Sage. One of my favorite bread recipes for Thanksgiving! 

Making Gnocchi Is Easier Than You Think:

I used to hear the words “Homemade Gnocchi” and kinda roll my eyes a bit, in a who-has-time-for-that kind of way! Until I actually tried it and let me tell you it’s really not that bad folks and SO worth the effort! Especially when you can flavor them with seasonal twists like sweet potato and nutmeg. 

A Gnocchi Recipe Without Ricotta Cheese

• Because gnocchi is made with potatoes they can be quite fragile if you don’t have something binding them together. For this reason some recipes with use ricotta cheese as the binding agent.
• However, this recipe uses an egg to bind the dough together

What To Serve with This Recipe?

• Personally, I think a browned butter sauce with crispy sage is the best flavor combination for these! 
• Alternatively, you could also toss them in my homemade Pesto Sauce 
• Or a drizzle of Olive Oil, Freshly Cracked Pepper and Parmesean CHeese would also be great
• To cut the richness you can also serve this recipe with my Fall Harvest Salad 

Watch My Video Demo of This Recipe Below! 

 

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Can you Use Any Potatoes for Gnocchi?

The best type of potatoes for gnocchi are starchy potatoes because they are dry and fluffy. A common starchy potato is a russet potato.

However, for Sweet Potato Gnocchi I like to use a combination of russet potatoes and sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes give the flavor and the russet potatoes give the best texture. A waxy potato has a lower starch content and will keep its shape after it’s cooked. Waxy potatoes are best for roasted potatoes or smashed potatoes. 

Step 1: Bake the Potatoes

Rub each potato with olive oil to help the skins come off easily after they are baked. Poke each one several times with a fork to allow the steam to escape.

Place in a 400F (200C) degree oven for about an hour or until the potatoes are tender. Flip every 20 minutes or so to avoid browning.

Step 2: Make the Gnocchi Dough

The gnocchi dough comes together pretty easily and quickly. You’ll remove the potato skin and cut the potatoes into quarters.

Use a Ricer: The Secret to Light and Fluffy Gnocchi

Then put the potatoes through a ricer and squeeze potato pieces through it. If you haven’t used a ricer before it’s a miraculous invention that gives you the smoothest most beautiful potato mash, which is exactly what you want for gnocchi.

The ricer is also great around Thanksgiving time for the smoothest, mashed potatoes, or for the topping of my vegetarian Gardener’s Pie. 

Add the Egg and Seasonings

Make a well in the center of the potato mash and add the egg, salt, nutmeg, and part of the flour. The idea is to try to get away with the least amount of flour possible. You should use just enough to bind it together. Otherwise, you’ll end up with tough gnocchi.

Forming the Dough

You’ll stir the mixture with a fork until a dough begins to form. Then, take the remaining flour, add a little at a time, kneading it into the dough, until the dough can be handled easily without sticking to your hands.

Shaping the Dough

Cut off about a tennis ball-sized dough piece and roll out like a snake. Then, cut the gnocchi into one-inch pieces using a knife or bench scraper. 

At this stage you have 2 options:

• Option#1:  cut the gnocchi and leave as is
• Option#2: Roll each piece down the prongs of a fork for a decorative touch (see video above for demo!). The rolling is pretty but it does take more time, and also makes them a bit more fragile. 

Freezing the Gnocchi

• After all the gnocchi is cut, layer them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer until frozen – about an hour or so.
• To prevent the gnocchi from sticking, dust the parchment paper with a little flour first.
• After the gnocchi is frozen you can cook and serve!

Store Them in Sandwich Bags and Avoid the Refrigerator

• But it’s better to freeze the gnocchi as individual pieces instead of one large dough ball. To store portion them out into sandwich bags and freeze until you are ready to use them. 
• For some reason, gnocchi does not do well in the fridge. I think it’s because the condensation gets too much for them and they turn mushy, then require more flour, which then toughens them up.
• So prepping them ahead of time and storing them in the freezer is definitely the way to go!

Step 3: Make the Brown Butter Sage Sauce

 The sauce has only two main ingredients and is super quick and easy to make!

Add the butter to a large pan. The pan should be big enough to add your gnocchi later, so plan ahead. 

When the butter is melted and foamy, add sage leaves and season with salt and pepper. 

Crisping the Sage

Let the butter simmer with sage. The sage will begin to crisp and the butter will begin to brown which adds beautiful flavor. When the sauce is done, turn off the heat and set it aside.

Step 4: Prep the Gnocchi and Serve

As the sauce is finished, it’s time to prep the gnocchi. The great thing about homemade gnocchi is it only takes about 2-3 minutes to boil.

As the gnocchi rises to the top of the pot it’s done! Remove them with a handled strainer or slotted spoon and place them in the skillet with the butter.

Gently toss the gnocchi with the butter and sage sauce until they are well-coated. 

 I like to add fresh Parmesan cheese to the top and then serve! No time for homemade gnocchi? Try my Pesto Gnocchi with Summer Veggies, it uses store-bought gnocchi and only takes 15-minutes to make!

More Great Fall Recipes!

• Cheesy Pasta Bake with Veggies
• Sausage and Pepper Recipe
• Sweet Potato Biscuits with Sage
• Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe
• Foolproof Roasted Potatoes

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