Potato Gnocchi with Butter & Sage
This is the very first dish I learned to make while staging at Quince Restaurant in 2004 with owner and Chef Michael Tusk. I nearly screwed it up the first time. The look on his face was priceless and I thought I'd never be invited back. Fortunately that was not the case!
Ingredients
- 3 large Russet potatoes
- Thyme butter (3 tablespoons butter melted with 2 tablespoons thyme leaves)
- 2 eggs
- 2 to 3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for sauce
- 6-10 whole sage leaves
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil. Simmer until easily pierced with a knife (45 min to 1 hour). Cool, remove skins, and put through a ricer.
- Add thyme butter and whisked eggs to riced potatoes. Salt aggressively and mix gently with a wooden spoon.
- Pour onto a marble or cutting board. Add flour gradually, using a pastry scraper to chop and fold. Work the dough 2-3 minutes, then knead by hand 1-2 minutes until cohesive.
- Slice off pieces, roll into ½-inch thick cylinders, and cut into 1.5-inch pieces. Roll each piece off a floured fork to create indentations.
- For the sauce: bring 1 stick of butter to a simmer with sage leaves. Add heavy cream, salt, and aggressive black pepper. Reduce 3-4 minutes.
- Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes until they float and are nearly cooked through.
- Transfer gnocchi to the sauce pan with a slotted spoon. Toss gently for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add pasta water if needed. Serve with Parmigiano Reggiano.
💡 James' Tip
The secret to light gnocchi is gentle handling — don't overwork the dough. The fork indentations help the butter-sage cream sauce cling to each piece perfectly.
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Join James for a hands-on potato gnocchi making class in the Bay Area. Learn to make perfect gnocchi from scratch with butter-sage cream sauce.
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