Potato Gnocchi
with brown butter and sage
Gnocchi are petite, pillowy soft potatoes of fluffy delight that are light and delicate if made right. It is definitely one of those things that take practice, patience and a lot of persistence since so many things can go awry. Too much flour and they will end up tough and dense. Not enough and they will fall apart when you cook them. Not to mention that they are a serious time commitment if you want to do make them right. Don’t be dissuaded however, because once you get the technique down it will definitely be worth knowing how to do.
Gnocchi are essentially boiled potato dumplings that end up being extremely light and tender. They are so packed with flavor that it will leave you questioning whether or not you are eating a small slice of heaven or not.
Add in the brown butter sauce with its hint of toasty hazelnut and it is a sure win-win situation.
*(Original recipe can be found at bonappetit.com)
Ingredients: Yields 4 servings of pasta
Potato Gnocchi:
- 2 large russet potatoes, skin on
- 7 Tbsp. All-Purpse Flour + more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
- 1 egg, beaten to blend
- 1 tsp. nutmug
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
- 2 ounces Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving
- 24 sage leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Cook potatoes in in the oven at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. As soon as potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and pass through a potato ricer into a large bowl (if left to cool before ricing, potatoes will become gummy). Let cool.
- Sprinkle 7 Tbsp. of flour and 2 tsp. salt over potatoes and, using your hands, make a well in the center. Pour egg into the well and stir in with a wooden spoon. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and gently knead, dusting with more flour as needed, until smooth but not elastic (be careful not to overwork), about 2 minutes. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into an 18″-long rope about ½” thick. Cut into ½” pieces, dust with flour, and arrange in a single layer on a lightly floured rimmed baking sheet.
- In a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat add the butter and cook until lightly browned in color (it should smell like toasted hazelnuts). Once the butter is ready add the cooked gnocchi to the pan and allow them to brown on both sides (about 8-12 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and add to a bowl with the sage leaves and ¼ c. of Parmesan cheese. Blend together until the gnocchi is coated and the Parmesan is melted. Add the remaining Parmesan blend till the cheese is just about melted.
- Serve gnocchi topped with pepper and more Parmesan.