Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi

Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi is a super simple dinner made by sautéing gnocchi until crispy, adding baby broccoli, and tossing it all together in an equally simple brown butter sage sauce. This dish has just 5 ingredients and is done in about 30 minutes.

We love gnocchi dishes so much that we have several different ones that we often turn to, like this Pumpkin Gnocchi Dish in the fall, Creamy Pesto Gnocchi in the spring and summer, or this Gnocchi in a White Wine Butter Sauce all year round.

We love to make them for a date night at home or an easy dinner for the whole family.

Jump to:

• 💡Recipe Inspiration
• 🌟 Why You'll Love This Dish
• 📝Ingredients
• 📋 How to Make Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi
• 🍴How to Serve, Store, and Reheat
• Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi FAQs
• If You're Looking For More Gnocchi Dishes, You May Love These
• Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

💡Recipe Inspiration

I made this gnocchi dish night late at night after the kids went to bed and we had not yet had dinner. We wanted something warm and homemade, but also something easy. I thought about making an Italian Gnocchi Stir Fry dish that we love, but I didn’t want to spend that much time making a late-night dinner.

So instead, I simplified the dish and brought it down to just gnocchi and one vegetable, baby broccoli which we had on hand. I've made it with other vegetables, but baby broccoli is the star since it soaks up all the sauce.

It's indulgent and decadent but it also doesn’t leave you feeling heavy since it has just as much baby broccoli as gnocchi.

📝Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi.

Note that the ingredient quantities are meant for a dish for 2 people. If you're making this for 4 people, double the ingredients and work in batches to prevent steaming the gnocchi.

• Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil. It is richer and adds more flavor. You add a couple of tablespoons when you start sauteeing the gnocchi, but you are continually adding a tablespoon here or there as needed. Also, because the sauce is so simple, having a good quality olive oil, which becomes part of the sauce, is helpful.
• Gnocchi: Gnocchi can be found at many (but not all) large grocery stores. I have the most luck finding them at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Target can be hit or miss. However, the trick to a really great gnocchi dish: buy really great gnocchi. If you happen to have a specialty Italian market nearby, check to see if they also make homemade gnocchi. We have one not too far from us, and it is significantly better than what you can get in the store (even though we really like the store brand).
• Baby Broccoli: The florets of the baby broccoli soak up the brown butter sage sauce, for the most incredible savory vegetable. If you can't find baby broccoli, use regular broccoli, or choose another green vegetable like green beans or snap peas.
• Butter: I use salted butter, so you may need to add a little more salt to the dish if you use unsalted butter. If you are nervous about browning the butter, keep the temperature a little bit lower. It will take longer to brown, but you're less likely to burn the butter.
• Sage: Use fresh sage leaves, they make the sauce what it is. Don't be tempted to use dried sage, or if you do, know that it won't have quite the same punch.

📋 How to Make Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi

Below are the step-by-step directions and photos for how to make Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi along with a few tips and tricks along the way.

Step 1. Fry the Gnocchi: Bring a large saute pan to medium heat (think a heat setting of 4 out of 1-10 on an electric stove). Add two tablespoons of olive oil. Allow the olive oil to warm through for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add the gnocchi and leave undisturbed for 5-10 minutes until you can start to see the bottom of the gnocchi have turned brown and crispy. Flip the gnocchi over and repeat once more until two sides of the gnocchi are brown and crispy. Add more olive oil as needed. Remove the gnocchi and set aside.

Step 2: Saute the Baby Broccoli: Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan if needed, allow to warm through, then add the chopped baby broccoli. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes.

Remove the broccoli and set aside.

Step 3. Brown the Butter: Add the butter to the pan and stir occasionally until it has lightly browned, 2-5 minutes. Don't wait for it to become dark brown, because you still need to add the sage.

Step 4. Add the Sage: Add the sage to the saute pan and stir for 1-2 minutes. Do not allow the butter to burn. If it is getting too dark in color, move on to step 5.

Step 5. Add All the Ingredients: Add the gnocchi and baby broccoli back to the dish and stir to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until everything has warmed through. Taste and add salt as needed.

🍴How to Serve, Store, and Reheat

• To Serve: Serve the Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi hot. If possible, serve them in a wide shallow dish so they don't pile on top of each other and steam. This will cause them to get soft, rather than stay crispy.
• To Store: This dish is best on the day it is made. However, to store leftovers place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat: To reheat add the gnocchi, broccoli, and sauce to a sauté pan, adding additional olive oil if needed. Sauté at medium heat for roughly 5 minutes.

Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi FAQs

If You're Looking For More Gnocchi Dishes, You May Love These

If you tried this  Gnocchi with Brown Butter sage Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear your feedback!