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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter

Fall Flavors· pizza & pasta
November 11, 2019

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter – Fluffy pillows of sweet potato dumplings are tossed in a sage and browned butter sauce to make for a comforting pasta dish you didn’t know you needed!

Bowl of Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter

Years ago, I detailed a pasta dish that changed my life forever. It was gnocchi with pesto cream sauce and it was so incredibly flavorful and tender. This dish inspired me to develop my own interpretation that has become one of my most popular recipes here at CPA. Now, I have a fall version that is equally rich and life-changing: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter.

This gnocchi was also inspired by a dish I had at a local restaurant years ago. This was long before sweet potato became a mainstream hit so I was a little hesitant to try it in gnocchi-form. And on top of that, the sauce was made from just butter and sage? No cream? no tomato? I was skeptical.

But man, was I wrong. The sweet potato gnocchi was just as fluffy and tender as the original version, but, if you can believe it, it was even more flavorful. Because of this inherit flavor, it shines on its own with little help from a heavy sauce – that’s why it pairs so perfectly with a light toss in sage and browned butter.

Just like I did with my other favorite gnocchi dish, I had to recreate this sweet potato version for you guys. Without further ado, here it is!

Closeup of Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter Sweet potato gnocchi on a fork Gnocchi on a fork above a bowl of Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter

What is gnocchi?

When I was telling people about this incredible dish, I was shocked to find out that gnocchi was not as widely known as I thought. If you fall into that category of people who have never heard of this classic Italian dish, have no fear – I’m here to break it down for you.

Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling that is shaped into small little pillows, which is then boiled and served with a sauce, similar to a pasta dish. It is traditionally made with a starchy potato, usually a Russett. This version is made with sweet potatoes.

Gnocchi can be served in as many varieties as any other pasta. I’ve had it with cream sauce, red sauce, meat sauce, and a light toss in butter and herbs, like this recipe.

Only recently have I been able to find gnocchi in the grocery store, next to the rest of the pasta. But let me warn you – the store-bought version is NOTHING like the homemade version. Homemade gnocchi is so much lighter and fluffier and melts in your mouth with every bite. The store-bought varieties are a little tougher, still tender, but nothing like the little clouds from heaven that you get with the homemade stuff.

How to make sweet potato gnocchi

Making the dough

The process of making this sweet potato gnocchi starts with baking the sweet potatoes. I do it in the microwave because I don’t have time to preheat an oven and then bake sweet potatoes for almost and hour. It only takes about 5 minutes to cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave.

Once the potatoes are cooked, I push them to a ricer to break them up. You could alternatively mash them with a fork but sweet potato tends to be stringy so I like using a ricer to help smooth it out.

Then, I add in the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, salt, and my special ingredient – nutmeg. Nutmeg is my all-time favorite spice to add to sweet potato, pumpkin, and squash dishes. It adds such depth and warmth to those ingredients and really helps them shine.

Mix together the ingredients with a fork. This helps keep the dough light and fluffy.

Mixing Sweet Potato Gnocchi ingredients in a glass bowl

Next, add in the flour and form the dough. I give it a few kneads to help it all come together.

Large lump of Sweet Potato Gnocchi dough

Forming the gnocchi

Once the dough is formed, you’ll split it up into six even wedges. Each wedge is then rolled into a long log and then cut into little 1-inch dumplings. You can make the dumplings as rustic or fancy as you want. I tend to err on the rustic side when making my gnocchi. I don’t worry too much about making them all look the same or give them a fancy pattern or anything.

Cookie sheet of uncooked sweet potato gnocchi Closeup of sweet potato gnocchi

How to make the sauce

Once the gnocchi is formed and boiled, it’s time to make the sage and browned butter sauce. This is the easiest sauce you’ll ever make. It starts with cooking butter until the solids turn brown and give off a nutty smell. Be careful during this step- the butter can quickly go from browned to burned so keep an eye on it!

Once the butter has browned, add in the sage to crisp it up get all the flavor into the butter. And that’s all there is to it! You simply toss the boiled gnocchi in the sauce and serve.

Pan of Sweet Potato Gnocchi dough and sage browned butter

Tips and Tricks

  1. Use a potato ricer to break up the potato. Do not use a food processor or it will make the gnocchi gummy and pasty. It will be impossible to work with. The ricer makes the potato super fluffy so it will mix easily with the flour and egg. I didn’t have a ricer so I had to buy one. This is the one I got and it worked perfectly.
  2. Do not over-work the dough. You just need to combine it enough to bring it all together. Otherwise, your gnocchi will be dense and tough.
  3. If you want to save some time, you can make them ahead of time and and place in the freezer before boiling. To make sure the gnocchi doesn’t stick together while freezing, freeze on the baking sheet while the gnocchi are separated. Once they are solid, you can place the frozen gnocchi in a storage bag or container and keep for later. Just toss them into a pot of boiling water when ready to make.
Print Recipe

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter

Fluffy pillows of sweet potato dumplings are tossed in a sage and browned butter sauce to make for a comforting pasta dish you didn't know you needed!
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 extra large sweet potatoes (1 pound each)
  • 12 ounces ricotta cheese drained for 2 hours
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 cup butter unsalted
  • 6 tablespoons chopped sages plus whole leaves for garnish

Instructions

  • Using a fork, prick sweet potatoes all over. Microwave for 5 minutes or until softened. Cut if half and cover with foil for about 10 minutes. Scoop flesh out of the skins (or simply peel skin off) and put flesh into a large bowl. Mash together with a fork or use, preferably, use a potato ricer to really help the potato break down.
  • Add ricotta, Parmesan, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt to sweet potato. Mix all together with a fork to keep it all fluffy. Add flour ½ cup at a time and mix with a wooden spoon. Stop adding flour when the dough forms.
  • Dust a clean counter with flour. Pour dough onto counter and knead into a smooth ball with your hands. Cut into 6 even wedges. Starting with one wedge, roll into a log and then into a long strip about 20 inches long. Cut the strip into 20 pieces, no longer than 1 inch. Roll each piece into a smooth cylinder. Add flour to a baking sheet. Place formed dumplings onto baking sheet while you make the rest of them. Repeat with the rest of the dough wedges.
  • Fill a large pot with water and set it over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to water. Once boiling, add gnocchi 1/3 of the gnocchi. Cook until the gnocchi float to the top, about 5 minutes. Grease baking sheet with nonstick spray. Remove cooked gnocchi from water and drain on greased baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the gnocchi.
  • Add 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) to a large skillet. Place over medium heat until the butter had a nutty smell and the solids have browned. This takes about 8-10 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of chopped sage. The butter will foam. Gently stir the butter and sage until the foaming has stopped. Add 1/2 of the gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi has heated through, about 5 minutes. Pour gnocchi into serving dish or individual plates. Repeat with the rest of the butter, sage, and cooked gnocchi. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you choose to freeze any gnocchi, freeze them after step 3 on the baking sheet. After an hour of freeze time, remove them from the baking sheet and place in a freezer-safe storage container or storage bag. They will stay good for up to 3 months. 

Pin for later:

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter photo collage

More recipes you’ll love:

Homemade Gnocchi with Pesto Cream Sauce

Bowl of Homemade Gnocchi with Pesto Cream Sauce

Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto

Plate of Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Sage Browned Butter

Spooning Sage browned butter onto Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

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20 Comments

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Comments

  1. pull and wears says

    November 5, 2024 at 8:47 pm

    “I appreciate the depth of research in this post!” Pull and Wears

    Reply
  2. Christina says

    May 4, 2021 at 10:54 am

    This will be my 3rd time making this sweet potato gnocci in brown butter & sage. Made it when I wad on vacation in Florida & now I’m asked to make it again! ❤

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      May 5, 2021 at 11:30 am

      I love this, Christina! It makes my heart happy when my recipes become part of your catalog, as well. So glad everyone loves it!

      Reply
  3. Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says

    November 18, 2019 at 12:21 am

    I’ve recently rediscovered sweet potato and I’m obsessed! I bet it to gnocchi and covering it with sage and browned butter really takes it to the next level! Can’t wait to give this a try.

    Reply
  4. Gunjan says

    November 17, 2019 at 11:51 pm

    This sounds like a fun twist to the regular gnocchi recipe. Would love to try it.

    Reply
  5. Jess says

    November 17, 2019 at 8:56 pm

    I’m not sure what part of this recipe sounds the best! Between the gnocchi and the delicious sauce! What a yummy combination!

    Reply
  6. Marisa F. Stewart says

    November 17, 2019 at 10:35 am

    We sure do love our gnocchi any way we can get them. We’ve had sweet potato gnocchi as well as squash gnocchi. They are so good and really easy to make. The brown butter sage sauce is the best way to serve them. Nutmeg is an ingredient my mamma used to use in a lot of her dishes. A very subtle flavor that really enhanced the dish.

    Reply
  7. Denise says

    November 16, 2019 at 10:03 am

    Honestly, my mouth started watering looking at your photos! This is a dish that I could easily fall in love with and eat often! Thanks for sharing it!

    Reply
  8. Danielle says

    November 15, 2019 at 9:08 pm

    When you say “sweet potato gnocchi”, I say “oh yes – bring them on!” 🙂 Certainly a wonderful recipe to make this holiday season. Great decision on adding browned butter sauce to it – such a great combo!

    Reply
  9. Bernice Hill says

    November 14, 2019 at 11:36 am

    What an amazing combination, and such great photos too. I would eat these anytime of day, gnocchi for breakfast anyone?!

    Reply
  10. Leslie Kiszka says

    November 13, 2019 at 4:15 pm

    These look like little pasta pillows of heaven! I can’t imagine a world where I wouldn’t know about gnocchi – they’re a staple in the winter in my house!

    Reply
  11. Aleta says

    November 13, 2019 at 2:03 pm

    The flavours in this gnocchi are such an amazing combination! I love sage with sweet potato, yet have never tried gnocchi with sweet potato. I am excited to try it!

    Reply
  12. Angela says

    November 12, 2019 at 7:01 pm

    I love the combo of flavors here! Sage and Sweet Potato…can’t wait to try it. YUM!!!

    Reply
  13. Rachel says

    November 12, 2019 at 2:52 pm

    I have recently discovered gnocchi. I had no idea how amazing it is. I would love to try to make this.

    Reply
  14. Amber says

    November 12, 2019 at 8:11 am

    I dont think I have ever had a sweet potato gnocchi but I bet it is so flavorful and delicious! Look forward to trying this recipe.

    Reply
  15. Beth says

    November 11, 2019 at 11:52 pm

    WOW! This looks fantastic! I was just looking around today for gnocchi recipes and never would of thought to use sweet potatoes!

    Reply
  16. Candice says

    November 11, 2019 at 11:35 pm

    Gnocchi is so much easier than I thought it would be with your recipe… showing me the texture of the gnocchi dough was really helpful… it came out great! On the first try!

    Reply
  17. Laura | Wandercooks says

    November 11, 2019 at 10:30 pm

    WOW! Such a gorgeous dish! I love gnocci and I love sweet potato – could eat this again and again and again 🙂

    Reply
  18. Lisa Favre says

    November 11, 2019 at 4:18 pm

    I absolutely adore gnocchi but have never had sweet potato gnocchi. It looks absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  19. Angella says

    November 11, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    I love everything & anything with sweet potatoes! This recipe sounds so cozy comfy…like I’ll go into food coma goodness! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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