Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter
Quick answer
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 g...
What makes this special
- Soft sweet potato gnocchi pair with fragrant sage butter and a crisp, pan-seared surface.
- Steamed sweet potato moisture driven off before mashing minimizes flour needed
- Brief kneading prevents gluten overdevelopment; gnocchi stays fluffy inside after boiling
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Steam the 300g sweet potato, or roast it at 200C, until the center is fully soft.
- 2 Add 1 egg yolk, 120g potato starch, 40g all-purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon salt to the mashed sweet potato.
- 3 If the dough sticks heavily to your hands, add potato starch 1 tablespoon at a time until it is workable.
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.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Control
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.
- 2Season
Add 1 egg yolk, 120g potato starch, 40g all-purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon salt to the mashed sweet potato.
Fold with a spatula just until the dough holds together, stopping before it becomes stretchy or dense.
- 3Prep
If the dough sticks heavily to your hands, add potato starch 1 tablespoon at a time until it is workable.
Do not knead it for long; roll it into 1.5cm ropes and cut 2cm pieces.
- 4Season
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.
- 5Control
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.
- 6Finish
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.
After the steps
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