These butternut squash gnocchi are so light and fluffy, they practically melt in your mouth! The delicate flavor of the squash is the perfect complement to the rich, butter sauce.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, side dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Difficulty Level: Easy
Supply: cooling rack, fork or gnocchi board, frying pan, large pot, medium mixing bowl, slotted spoon
½cupall purpose flour or 00 flourplus extra for work surface
Fried Gnocchi in Brown Butter Sauce with Crispy Sage Leaves
48boiled gnocchi
½cupbuttersalted
16leavesfresh sage
1ounce parmesan cheesefinely grated
Instructions
Mise En Place
Fill a large pot with 10 cups of water, and turn the heat on high to boil the water. Season with 2 Tablespoons of sea salt or kosher salt.
Gather the remaining ingredients and measure them out.
Gnocchi Dough
Add the butternut squash, seasonings, egg yolk, yogurt, and flour to a medium size bowl and mix together until it forms a loose dough ball.
Lightly flour a clean work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto the cutting board. Sprinkle the dough with flour and press it down and fold it over onto itself until the flour is incorporated and the dough is soft, but not sticking to your fingers. Add small amounts of flour at a time, you want a soft dough that doesn't stick to your fingers.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and place three of the sections aside on a floured surface. Take the one piece and form a log. Sprinkle with flour on the outside only and roll into a long rope about 12" in length and about the diameter of a nickel.
Cut the rope into 1" gnocchi pieces. You should have about 12 gnocchi per rope. Repeat with the other sections of the dough.
Forming the Gnocchi
You can use a gnocchi board or the back of a fork to form the gnocchi shape. I don't have a gnocchi board, so I use a fork.
Take a piece of the cut gnocchi and place it in on the back of a lightly floured fork with the cut sides facing out. Having the cut sides out will prevent the stickier dough from sticking to the fork. Press the dough piece into the tines of the fork and then roll the dough down the fork. Pinch the ends closed and place the gnocchi onto the floured cutting board.
Boiling the Gnocchi
When the salted water has come to a full boil, add in about a dozen gnocchi and give them a gentle stir. Boil for 1-2 minutes and when the gnocchi is done, they will float to the top. Remove the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack or a plate lined with a paper towel.
Make sure the water comes back up to a boil between batches. Repeat for the remaining gnocchi.
Fried Gnocchi in Butter with Crispy Sage Leaves
Melt ½ cup butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is almost melted and it's bubbling, add in the boiled gnocchi. Reduce the heat to medium so the butter doesn't burn.
Cook the gnocchi about 1-2 minutes or until it is browned on one side. Flip the gnocchi over and add in the sage leaves. Make sure each sage leaf is in a single layer in the butter. Cook another 1-2 minutes. The sage should be crispy and the butter should be browned. At any time during the cooking process you can turn the heat down if the butter shows any signs of burning or smoking.
Place the gnocchi and the brown butter sauce with the crispy sage into a serving bowl or onto individual plates. Garnish with finely shredded parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
This recipe makes about 48 1" gnocchi. 6 Gnocchi is about average for a side dish when you will have other components to the meal. If you are serving the Gnocchi as a main course, increase to about 12 gnocchi per serving.