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These pillowy sweet potato gnocchi in sage brown butter sauce will make you forget store-bought pasta ever existed. It's restaurant-quality dining at home!
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What makes this dish special
The first time I tried gnocchi was when I purchased a bag of ready-made packaged gnocchi. I was not a fan. The gnocchi was dry and hard, not what I wanted. So, for the longest time, I refused to try gnocchi. But since I'm a professional chef, I thought, "Why not just make gnocchi from scratch?" I'm so glad I decided to give it a try because the results were everything I was searching for. The pasta was light, soft, almost like a marshmallow, the opposite of the store-bought version. It was so good, I've been serving it to my private chef clients ever since.
Today, I decided to take on a different type of gnocchi, the sweet gnocchi kind. With fall in full effect, this pasta is the perfect dish to warm you up. Sweet potato gnocchi is tossed in a browned butter sage sauce and topped with fresh arugula, pine nuts, and parmesan. It's now one of my favorite fall pastas (alongside this caramelized cabbage and bacon pasta, of course)!
Recipe
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 1 pound sweet potato
- ½ cup ricotta
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ - 2 cups all-purpose flour
Remaining ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 fresh sage leaves
- 2 cups arugula
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Roast sweet potato for 40-45 minutes or until fork-tender. Alternatively, place sweet potato in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 8-10 minutes or until fork-tender. Remove peel and mash until smooth. Let cool completely.
- Add ricotta to mashed sweet potato and mix until combined. Add egg and salt, mixing until combined. Gradually add 1 ½ cups flour, mixing until combined. The dough will be sticky but not loose. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if still very moist, mixing until well combined.
- Generously dust counters with flour and scrape dough onto counter. Cut dough into 4 sections. Start with the first piece and roll into a ¾ inch thick rope. Use a knife and cut log into ¾ inch wide bite-size pieces. Use a gnocchi board or the back of a fork to create ridges on the dough. Transfer gnocchi onto a baking sheet dusted with flour and repeat with remaining dough.
- Prepare sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until butter turns into a golden brown color and smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add sage and simmer for 1 minute. Keep warm.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add gnocchi and cook until they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes. Use slotted spoon to remove gnocchi from water and immediately place them in browned butter sauce. Season pasta with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls and top with fresh arugula, toasted pinenuts, and grated parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prepare gnocchi dough
I always considered gnocchi a type of pasta, but it is actually a dumpling (who knew?) typically made from potatoes. Nowadays, there are many variations on gnocchi, including sweet potato gnocchi. This dish does require more effort, but the results are outstandingly better than buying the prepackaged ones, trust me.
Start by preparing the sweet potatoes. You can choose to roast, steam, or microwave the potatoes. As long as the sweet potatoes are cooked, that's what counts.
Peel the potatoes, mash them, and let them cool.
Combine the sweet potatoes with ricotta, egg, salt, and flour. The ricotta helps lighten the gnocchi, preventing the dough from becoming dense.
Be careful when adding the flour, as adding too much will also result in a dense dumpling.
The dough will feel sticky, but should be able to hold together.
Step 2: Shape gnocchi
Now it's time to shape the gnocchi. Be generous when dusting your clean counter with flour. Since the dough is sticky, it will require quite a bit of flour to prevent it from sticking to the counter.
Divide the gnocchi into 4 sections to make them easier to handle. Roll each section into a log and cut it into bite-sized pieces. You don't have to be exact with the measurements, just have fun with it!
If you have a gnocchi board, here's the time to pull it out! The board will create the grooves you often see on the dumplings.
You can also use the back of a fork. I skipped this step this time because, honestly, who was going to appreciate the grooves other than me?
At this point, you can refrigerate the gnocchi until you are ready to boil them. I like to prepare a big batch and freeze half of it for next time.
If you're going to freeze the gnocchi, first lay them on a pan dusted with flour. Do not stack the gnocchi! Once frozen, transfer them to a container, and yes, now you can stack them.
Step 3: Cook gnocchi
Now, it's time to cook! Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
While you are waiting for the water to boil, make the browned butter sauce. Keep an eye on your butter since it can easily go from a lovely brown to burnt in no time. It should smell nutty and toasty.
Add fresh sage and let it simmer for about a minute. Go easy on the sage as it is very pungent.
Boil the gnocchi until they start to float to the top, about 3-4 minutes. Then, immediately drain them and add them to the browned butter sauce. Finish with the pine nuts, arugula, and parmesan, and serve.
This sweet potato gnocchi with sage brown butter sauce was as lovely as expected. Browned butter and sage are probably the most common ingredients to pair with sweet potato gnocchi. However, the addition of arugula, toasted pine nuts, and parmesan elevates this dish to the next level. A fancy meal for an ordinary day!
For another fantastic gnocchi recipe, check out this skillet cacio e pepe gnocchi alla vodka, ricotta gnocchi with ratatotuille sauce, and goat cheese gnocchi with sugo.
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can make gnocchi up to 24 hours ahead. Place them on a floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. For longer storage, freeze them on the baking sheet until solid, then transfer to freezer bags for up to 3 months. Cook frozen gnocchi directly from frozen - they'll just take an extra minute or two.
- Store: Keep leftover gnocchi in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 2 days. To reheat leftovers, sauté gnocchi in a little butter or olive oil until heated through and slightly crispy on the outside. Avoid microwaving as it can make them gummy.
More vegetarian pasta recipes
Looking for more vegetarian pasta ideas? Try these:
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All images shot and styled by Christine Ma. Available for food photography, styling, and recipe development.
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