Italian · Dinner

Potato gnocchi with brown butter sage

Name: Potato gnocchi with brown butter sage
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced; 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 100 grams, divided, plus more for dusting; 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter; 15 large fresh sage leaves; 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Feather-light baked-potato gnocchi tossed in nutty brown butter with crisp sage, pasta water, and Parmigiano.

About 2 hr 5 minTotal

About 1 hr 55 minActive

$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 4 servings

Equipment

A fine ricer or food mill works; avoid a food processor because it can make potatoes gluey.
Best gnocchi starting point
OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer · 1129780
View at Amazon
Another workable path: A fine ricer or food mill works; avoid a food processor because it can make potatoes gluey.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe's fine, low-shear potato texture, then verified the three built-in settings, stainless construction, model 1129780, UPC identity, cleaning burden, and exact Amazon destination. Kwilt has not made gnocchi with this ricer.
OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer · 1129780: The built-in fine setting gives cooked russets the light, uniform texture needed for tender gnocchi while the pot-rest groove and long handles make a full recipe batch easier to press consistently. Trade-off: It is larger and more expensive than a fixed-disk ricer, and the rotating plates need prompt cleaning before potato starch dries in the openings.
Another workable path: Use another sturdy fine-hole potato ricer or a food mill fitted with its fine disk; do not use a food processor, which can turn the potatoes gluey.
Sources
OXO 3-in-1 potato-ricer specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 servings

3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 100 grams, divided, plus more for dusting
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
15 large fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F. Bake potatoes directly on the rack until completely tender and skins are dry, 55 to 70 minutes. Split immediately, scoop out flesh, and pass it onto a wide work surface while steaming hot.
Spread potato in a thin layer for 5 minutes. Drizzle with yolks and 1 teaspoon salt, sift 2/3 cup flour over it, then cut and fold gently with a bench scraper only until a soft dough holds. Do not knead; add remaining flour only if a test piece dissolves in simmering water.
Divide dough into 6 pieces, roll each lightly into a 3/4-inch rope, and cut 3/4-inch pillows. Roll gently over a fork or gnocchi board if desired and hold in one layer on a floured tray.
Melt butter over medium in a wide skillet. Add sage and cook until leaves crisp and milk solids turn hazelnut brown, 3 to 5 minutes; immediately lower heat so the solids do not blacken.
Boil gnocchi in two batches in gently boiling water seasoned with remaining salt. When they float, cook 30 seconds more and transfer with a spider to brown butter. Add 1/3 cup cooking water, toss gently until glossy, and finish with Parmigiano and pepper off heat.

ItalyItalian regional home cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Potato gnocchi appear across several Italian regions and households, with texture governed more by potato dryness and gentle handling than by one universal formula. Baking floury potatoes, ricing them hot, and folding in minimal flour produces pillows rather than dense dumplings.

Light potato gnocchi depend on dryness and minimal gluten, not a large flour dose. Baking floury russets, ricing them hot, and folding rather than kneading reduce the flour needed. A single test dumpling is more honest than a fixed extra-flour instruction because potato moisture varies. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use the most rigorous low-flour baked-potato method, retain yolks for home-kitchen handling, and emulsify brown butter with cooking water rather than serving an oily pool.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe