Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter

Quick answer

Total time: 55 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 10

About this dish

Sweet potato gnocchi with sage butter begins with steamed sweet potato that has been rested uncovered to drive off excess steam, then mashed while still warm and folded gently with potato starch, all-purpose flour, and egg yolk into a soft, cohesive dough.

The critical rule is minimal kneading - once the ingredients combine, the dough should be handled as little as possible to prevent gluten from developing, which would make the finished pieces dense and rubbery instead of fluffy and tender. The gnocchi are shaped by rolling ropes of dough, cutting them into small pillows, and pressing each one against a fork to create ridges that catch the sauce. Once boiled until they float, they go directly into browned butter: unsalted butter melted with fresh sage leaves over medium heat until the milk solids turn hazelnut-brown and the sage releases a dry, herbal aroma that complements the sweet potato's natural caramel notes. Toasted, chopped walnuts scattered over the top add a crunchy contrast to the pillowy gnocchi, and a generous grating of Parmigiano Reggiano provides the sharp, crystalline saltiness that pulls the whole dish together.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

sweet potato300 gg

potato starch120 gg

all-purpose flour40 gg

egg yolk1 eaea

salt1 tsptsp

unsalted butter60 gg

sage leaves8 eaea

walnuts30 gg

Parmigiano Reggiano20 gg

black pepper½ tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Steam the 300g sweet potato, or roast it at 200C, until the center is fully soft.

Leave it uncovered briefly so steam escapes, then peel while warm and mash until smooth with no firm pieces left.
2

Finish

Add 1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon salt to the mashed sweet potato.

Reserve some of the 120g potato starch, then add the rest with 40g flour and fold just until the dough comes together.
3

Finish

If the dough sticks heavily to your hands, add the reserved potato starch 1 tablespoon at a time.

Do not knead for long; roll into ropes 1.5cm wide and cut into 2cm pieces.
4

Season

Press each cut piece lightly against a fork to make shallow ridges for the butter sauce.

Boil in salted water; once the gnocchi float, cook 1 minute more, then lift them out and drain well.
5

Control

Melt 60g unsalted butter with 8 sage leaves in a pan over medium heat.

Cook gently until the butter turns hazelnut brown and the sage becomes crisp, then lower the heat so the butter does not burn.
6

Finish

Add the boiled gnocchi and 30g chopped walnuts to the pan and toss gently for 1 minute to coat without breaking the pieces.

Season with 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, plate, and finish with 20g grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Soft sweet potato gnocchi pair with fragrant sage butter and a crisp, pan-seared surface.
Finish cue: Steam the 300g sweet potato, or roast it at 200C, until the center is fully soft.
Avoid this: Do not overwork the dough to keep gnocchi tender.
Substitution: The critical rule is minimal kneading - once the ingredients combine, the dough should be handled as little as possible to prevent gluten from developing, which would make the finished pieces dense and rubbery instead of fluffy and tender.