Gnocchi di Patate (Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter)
Local name: Gnocchi di patate
In short: Light potato gnocchi shaped by hand and tossed in sage butter. Bake the potatoes, rice them while hot and use as little flour as you can. It takes about 1 h 40 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 545 kcal
Gnocchi are soft little dumplings found across Italy, and potato gnocchi are the version most people know. The dough is only mashed potato, flour and egg, handled lightly so it stays tender. Baking the potatoes instead of boiling them keeps them dry, which means less flour and lighter dumplings. Serve them with a simple sage butter, a tomato sauce or ragù. Boil one test gnoccho before shaping the rest, to check the dough.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick the potatoes and bake them on a tray for 50 to 60 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.
- Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh while it is still hot. Push it through a ricer or food mill onto a clean work surface and spread it out for 5 minutes to let the steam escape.
- Sprinkle over the salt, nutmeg and flour, then add the egg yolk. Gather the mixture into a soft dough with a bench scraper, pressing and folding just until it holds together. Do not knead.
- Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each into a rope about 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick on a floured surface, then cut it into 2 cm pieces.
- Roll each piece over the tines of a fork, or leave them as small pillows. Set them in a single layer on a floured tray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the gnocchi in 2 batches until they float to the surface, then 1 minute more, about 2 to 3 minutes in all.
- While they cook, melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat with the sage leaves for 3 minutes, until the butter foams and smells nutty.
- Lift the gnocchi straight from the water into the sage butter with a slotted spoon and toss gently for 1 minute. Serve with pepper and Parmigiano Reggiano, if using.
Tips
- Boil one test gnoccho first. If it falls apart, work in another spoonful of flour. If it feels dense, you have used too much.
- Freeze uncooked gnocchi on a tray, then bag them. Cook straight from frozen, adding 1 extra minute to the boiling time.
Questions and answers
Why did my gnocchi fall apart?
The dough needs a little more flour to hold together, or the water was boiling too hard. Test one gnoccho first, and cook the rest at a gentle boil.
Why are my gnocchi heavy?
Too much flour or too much handling makes gnocchi dense. Use floury potatoes baked until dry, rice them while hot, and work the dough as little as you can.
What sauce goes with potato gnocchi?
Sage butter is the simplest. Tomato sauce, pesto, ragù or a creamy cheese sauce also suit them, as long as the sauce is not too heavy.
How long does it take to make Gnocchi di Patate (Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter)?
About 1 h 40 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 1 h of cooking.
How many calories are in Gnocchi di Patate (Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter)?
About 545 kcal per serving, with 12 g of protein, 88 g of carbohydrates and 16 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 545 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 88 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 650 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
