Gnocchi With Brown Butter and Sage. Photo by Lauren Bulbin/The Washington Post; food styling by Carolyn Robb
How was your 2025? For many, myself included, it was fairly tumultuous. There was work stress, anxiety about my family’s health and sadness about world events. But there were bright spots, too, including awe-inspiring concerts; trips to different cities and countries; and deepening friendships over card games, meals and dancing until the wee hours.
In any given year, there’s always reason to celebrate, even if it’s just the fact that you made it through. So to bid farewell to the old and ring in the new, we’re making brown butter and fried sage leaves to pour over pan-seared gnocchi - a meal that feels festive and extravagant but takes only 20 minutes to prepare.
It starts with store-bought gnocchi that get cooked in a nonstick or cast-iron skillet until brown and crisp on the outside, though they retain a slight chew for a variety of textures. It’s a technique I shared over the summer, and I am once again asking you to try it for yourself if you haven’t already. (You are certainly welcome to make your own potato or ricotta gnocchi if you’re in the mood for more of a project during the holiday week.)
Brown butter and fried sage are classic partners for gnocchi. (If you’re not a fan of the potato dumplings for whatever reason, you could pour brown butter and sage on any type of pasta and it would be delicious.) The butter is nutty with notes of caramel, while the sage is earthy, savory and woodsy, with a touch of freshness that some liken to citrus, eucalyptus or mint.
Browning butter is simple to do but requires a watchful eye and keen senses. “Butter is a matrix of fat, water, proteins and sugars,” recipes editor Becky Krystal wrote on the subject. When it is exposed to heat, the water is driven off and what remains starts to evolve, creating new aroma and flavor compounds. “Use your eyes, ears and nose. The bubbling and crackling … followed by silence means the water has been cooked off and it’s time to pay even closer attention as the solids brown.”
As much as I dislike asking you to do this, you’ll want a separate pan for this step - one with a light interior, such as stainless steel, so you can more readily see the color transform. Just seconds before the butter is ready, add the sage leaves to fry until they curl and crisp. Then you want to immediately take the skillet off the heat and pour the butter and sage over the seared gnocchi to keep the butter from burning. There’s a very fine line between deliciousness and disaster.
To finish, top the dish with flaky sea salt, black pepper, parmesan cheese and lemon zest, and serve with lemon wedges on the side. These accouterments really make the dish sing by adding flavor and balance to each bite, with the cheese enhancing the savory nuttiness of the brown butter and the lemon’s brightness keeping it from feeling too heavy.
I found myself going back again and again until I ended up eating the whole platter. It’s a meal worth celebrating on its own - and one that can help you commemorate life’s best moments, too.
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Gnocchi with brown butter and sage
Servings: 2-3 (makes 3 cups)
Total time: 20 minutes
Substitutions: Shelf-stable potato gnocchi >> refrigerated or homemade gnocchi of any kind that has been boiled first .No sage? >> Omit it, or finish with chopped fresh basil or parsley. Parmesan >> pecorino Romano or grana Padano. Dairy-free? >> Use nondairy butter and parmesan.
Hearty gnocchi, nutty brown butter and crisp sage leaves form a terrific trio in this recipe. Using store-bought potato gnocchi means this dish can come together in minutes. It’s served with lemon wedges and parmesan cheese for balance and extra flavor.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One (16-ounce) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
20 fresh sage leaves
1 lemon, finely zested and cut into wedges
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a large (12-inch) nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the gnocchi, breaking apart any pieces that are stuck together, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and browned in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl or individual bowls.
In a small to medium (8-to-10-inch) stainless steel (or other light-colored material) skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. (You can also use a medium [3-to-4-quart] saucepan.) Cook, stirring or swirling the pan frequently, until the milk solids turn a light golden brown and the butter smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Add the sage leaves, and fry until they start to curl and crisp, 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, and pour the mixture over the gnocchi. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, parmesan, flaky salt and pepper. Serve hot, with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Nutritional information per serving (1 cup), based on 3: 462 calories, 26 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 58 g carbohydrates, 842 mg sodium, 40 mg cholesterol, 5 g protein, 2 g fiber, 1 g sugar.
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
From Washngton Post staff writer Aaron Hutcherson.
