Potato gnocchi with sage and butter
Gnocchi are Italian flour, potato and egg dumplings. The gnocchi dough is almost identical to the dough for Polish dumplings. The difference between gnocchi and Polish potato dumplings lies in the shape of the dumplings, because Polish dumplings are larger and have a diamond or rectangular shape. Unlike dumplings, gnocchi are smaller and have a ribbed shape that allows the cooked dumplings to absorb more sauce. The ribbed shape of these dumplings is not mandatory and if you do not have the possibility to make them, you can leave the gnocchi in a simple shape or give them a different shape.
I start making gnocchi by boiling the potatoes. I cook the potatoes in their skins until they are soft, although they should not have a consistency of a puree, they should still be quite firm. After cooking, I cool the potatoes only for a moment, because when combining them with flour and egg, they must be warm. I combine the ingredients, knead quickly and make ropes from the dough, from which I later form dumplings. After forming the gnocchi, I sprinkle them with flour and leave them uncovered for 30 minutes to let them dry out a bit, so that they will not fall apart during cooking.
In a large pot, I bring salted water to a boil then add the gnocchi. I bring it to a boil again, while keeping the whole thing cooking on a medium heat, tending to low, as too high a heat can cause the gnocchi to start falling apart. After the dumplings float to the surface, I cook them for a little over a minute, after which I transfer them to a bowl or to a serving platter. Not in a colander though, because I don’t pour cold water over them. I drizzle the dumplings intensively with butter fried with sage, lemon and garlic. I encourage you to prepare these soft gnocchi for dinner, they are great served by themselves or as an addition to meat dishes. Below I leave the recipe for potato gnocchi with sage and butter and I wish you a tasty meal.
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Ingredients for potato gnocchi with sage and butter.
- 1 kg unpeeled potatoes
- 1 small egg
- 250 g flour type 500 + extra for dusting
- water for boiling the potatoes
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Additionally:
- medium size bunch of sage
- 1 big clove of garlic
- 100 g butter
- 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- freshly ground black pepper
For cooking:
- 2,5 l water
- 1 full teaspoon of salt
How to make potato gnocchi with sage and butter.
Put the butter in a pan, melt it and fry for a while until it foams well. At that point, add the chopped sage leaves and continue frying on a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the mashed garlic and lemon juice and continue frying for a few seconds. After that, remove the pan from the heat, add a pinch of salt and grated lemon zest.
Put the potatoes in a pot, pour in water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 25 minutes or until they are tender. Remove the boiled potatoes to a plate, let them cool down a bit, and peel them when they are still warm. Next, press the peeled potatoes through a potato press, put them in a bowl and add the sifted flour and egg. Quickly knead the dough, place it on the kitchen counter, knead for a short while, then shape it into a ball, which then cut into smaller pieces. Shape each piece of potato dough into a roll about two centimetres in diameter. Next, cut each roll into about 2-2.5 wide pieces, sprinkle them with flour and form them with a fork or on a gnocchi board. Place the gnocchi next to one another on a surface sprinkled with flour and set them aside for 30 minutes.
Pour water into a large pot, add salt and bring it to a boil. Put some of the gnocchi into the boiling water, reduce the heat slightly and cook until they float to the surface of the water. From then on, cook them over a low heat for a minute to a minute and 30 seconds. Transfer the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon into a bowl and pour it intensively with fried butter with garlic and sage. Serve the potato gnocchi sprinkled with freshly ground pepper.
Good to know when making potato gnocchi with sage and butter.
After cutting the potato dough into pieces, I form it on a gnocchi board. I am helping myself with a fork because the dough is quite soft. Place a piece of dough on top of the board and, pressing it lightly with a fork, roll it downwards. You can also form gnocchi with a fork by placing it on one end of the piece of the dough and turning it slightly downwards.
The potatoes you use for the gnocchi dough should be floury. I strongly advise against making these gnocchi from young potatoes, because they will be too watery. Older potatoes are the best in making gnocchi dough.
After combining the potatoes with flour and egg, knead the dough quickly and knead it as short as possible. Kneading the dough for too long makes it sticky and that is not the form you desire.
Do you like gnocchi? If so, try our recipe for Ricotta gnocchi.
