Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Balsamic-Sage Brown Butter Sauce Recipe

One of our most popular recipes on the whole site is this twist on traditional gnocchi. Made with sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes and topped with a balsamic reduction and brown butter sauce, it's sure to become your go-to fall pasta recipe.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main, Noodles, Side

Cuisine American, Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Servings

Calories 291 kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (yams) halved lengthwise
1/2 pound Russet potatoes halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper as needed, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese plus more for garnish
1 large egg lightly beaten
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups all purpose or white whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 to 15 fresh sage leaves
2 medium shallots quartered and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Bake The Potatoes: Heat an oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Drizzle both the Russet and sweet potatoes with olive oil and season with a few good pinches of salt and a few cranks of pepper.
Pierce them all over with a fork, then place them cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet (lined with a silicone baking mat or aluminum foil for easier cleanup) and roast until they're fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (yams), 1/2 pound Russet potatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper
Make The Sweet Potato Gnocchi Pasta Dough: When the potatoes are fork-tender, set them aside until they're just cool enough to handle but not completely room temperature.
Use a spoon to scoop the potato flesh out of the skins and immediately pass it through a potato ricer (or mash with the back of a fork). Stir in cheese, egg, honey, and 2 teaspoons of salt.
Mix in the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Taste and add additional salt, as needed. You've added enough flour when you touch the back of the dough, and it is damp but not sticking to your hand.
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons honey, 1 1/2 cups all purpose or white whole wheat flour
Shape The Gnocchi: Turn dough out onto the floured surface and shape it into a square. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.
Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into a rope (about 1/2 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. (However, don't add too much additional flour, as too much will make for heavy gnocchi.)
Cut each rope into 1/2 -inch pieces. Stop here or, as desired, using your thumb, roll each piece down over the tines of a fork to indent.
Cook The Sweet Potato Gnocchi: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, simmer gnocchi until they float, then cook an additional 30 (if fresh) to 60 seconds (if frozen).
Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to a clean rimmed baking sheet—reserve 2/3 cups of the pasta cooking water and drain the remaining water.
Make The Fried Sage Brown Butter Sauce: Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it foams, add sage and cook until crisp and fragrant. Remove sage to a plate and return the frying pan to the stove.
Add the shallot and, watching it carefully and often stirring, allow the milk solids to begin to brown and the butter to become fragrant and nutty. Scrape along the bottom to prevent the solids from sticking and burning.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 12 to 15 fresh sage leaves, 2 medium shallots
Serve The Sweet Potato Gnocchi: When the butter is brown, immediately remove from heat and carefully stir in the vinegar (otherwise, it may sting your eyes).
Stir in about half of the pasta and half of the reserved pasta water, return to heat, and cook until just coated in the sauce. Add a lot of freshly ground black pepper, taste for seasoning, and finish with additional pasta water, salt, black pepper, the crisp sage, and freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

PERSONAL NOTES

Click here to add your own private notes.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 692mgPotassium: 475mgFiber: 5gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 12299IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 2mg

Keyword brown butter sage sauce, butter pasta sauce, sweet potato gnocchi