Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter

Name: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 200 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 pounds (1.4 kg) sweet potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes); 1 tablespoon (9 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or same weight; 3 ounces (85 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, plus more for serving; 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (6 3/4 ounces; 191 g), plus more for dusting and shaping; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces; 113 g), plus 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce; 14 g) chilled unsalted butter for finishing; Leaves from 1 large sprig fresh sage (about 15 large and small leaves); 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, optional (see notes); Lemon zest, for serving; Aleppo pepper, for serving

Plate of sweet potato gnocchi topped with grated cheese crispy sage and brown butter — Serious Eats / Vy Tran

In This Recipe

For More Flavorful Gnocchi, Slow-Roast Your Sweet Potatoes
Drying the Sweet Potatoes
Making and Shaping the Dough
Cooking the Gnocchi

Why It Works

Starting the sweet potatoes in a cold oven and roasting them at 300°F (150°C) keeps them in the enzyme-active range long enough for starches to convert to maltose, which deepens their natural sweetness.
Returning the mashed potatoes to the oven drives off excess moisture. This allows the dough to come together with less flour, preventing the flavor from being muted and the texture from becoming dense.
Parmigiano-Reggiano adds savoriness to the gnocchi and helps balance the sweetness of the potatoes.
An optional splash of lemon juice at the end brightens the brown butter sauce.

Pillowy yet rich, gnocchi with brown butter and sage is a staple on fall and winter menus. It's familiar and maybe even predictable, but for good reason: It's a comforting dish that's built on flavors that define the season. A natural next step for this already autumnal dish is to lean even further into fall with a sweet potato version.

Classic northern Italian gnocchi is typically made with low-moisture potatoes, such as russets or other starchy varieties found across Europe, such as patata della Sila. Making gnocchi dough with low-moisture potatoes—instead of waxy, high-moisture ones—means you won't need as much flour to bring the dough together, which in turn keeps the gnocchi light and tender rather than dense and gummy. Sweet potatoes, however, hold much more moisture than regular potatoes—and for tender, springy gnocchi, I knew I needed a different approach to manage the excess.

For More Flavorful Gnocchi, Slow-Roast Your Sweet Potatoes

To concentrate the sweet potato flavor, I use a slow-roasting method that builds on how the potato’s natural enzymes behave. I wrap the potatoes tightly in foil and start them in a cold oven set to 300°F (150°C), which gradually warms the potatoes and allows those enzymes to convert some of the starches into maltose, deepening the vegetable's sweetness—a process unique to sweet potatoes and, to a lesser extent, some winter squashes. This low temperature keeps them in that gentle temperature range long enough for the sweetness to develop.

When the potatoes are almost tender, I unwrap them and increase the oven temperature to 400°F (205°C). This caramelizes the surface of the sweet potatoes, further intensifying their flavor. What you get is a sweeter, more complex potato than one you'd get from a standard high-heat roast.

If time is of the essence, you can take a more straightforward route. Simply preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC), prick the potatoes all over with a fork or paring knife, set them on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and bake until fully tender and the skins are lightly browned, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

For an even faster option, the microwave works too: Pierce the potatoes four or five times, microwave for five minutes, then continue in one-minute bursts until they're soft. These faster methods don't give the potatoes much time in the 135 to 170ºF (57 to 77ºC) range where enzymatic sweetening happens, so there's very little to no starch-to-maltose conversion. The standard oven method moves through that window quickly, while the microwave method skips past it almost entirely. That doesn't mean your gnocchi won't be delicious—it just won't have quite the same depth of sweetness as the slow-roasted version.

Drying the Sweet Potatoes

After the slow roast, I scoop and mash the potatoes and spread them into an even layer on a sheet pan, then return them to the oven for about 15 minutes to drive off excess moisture. I weighed the potatoes before and after this step and found they lost roughly 15% of their weight due to moisture loss. This step further concentrates the spuds' flavor, and also helps the dough come together easily with minimal flour during shaping. Incorporate too much flour, and you risk having dense, heavy gnocchi with a muted flavor. In side-by-side testing, this drying step made a noticeable difference in both flavor and texture: The batch with undried sweet potatoes turned out much denser, since I had to add significantly more flour to get the dough to hold together.

A plate of sweet potato gnocchi garnished with cheese and herbs with a hand holding a fork — Serious Eats / Vy Tran

Making and Shaping the Dough

Once the potatoes are dried, the dough comes together directly on the work surface. I spread the mashed sweet potatoes into an even layer, top them with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and drizzle them with egg yolks. The Parmesan adds more than richness—its saltiness and savoriness balance the natural sweetness of the potatoes. Once I sift flour over the mixture, I use a bench scraper to fold it all together until it forms a loose mound that can be gently patted into a cohesive dough and formed into a log.

From there, I roll the log into ropes and cut them into small pieces. A fair amount of flour is needed for shaping, but it's important to add it only when the dough starts to stick, and only enough to help it hold together so it shapes easily. It becomes a bit of a conversation with the dough—feeling when it needs a light dusting and when to leave it alone. This intuitive back-and-forth is part of what makes shaping gnocchi an intimate process.

Cooking the Gnocchi

With the gnocchi shaped, the next step is boiling them. They only need a couple of minutes—just long enough to float and so they no longer taste raw, but not so long that they start to break down. Properly cooked gnocchi should be tender throughout with a light, springy bite. While the water heats, the sauce comes together quickly in a single skillet: Butter is cooked with sage until the milk solids brown and smell nutty while the leaves crisp, infusing the butter with their piney aroma.

Once the gnocchi is cooked, all that's left to do is drop them straight into the brown butter and toss them until coated and glossy. An optional splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice adds brightness, and a small knob of chilled butter at the end helps emulsify the sauce so it clings to the pasta more evenly. A final sprinkle of Aleppo pepper adds a subtle, warm kick, and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan ties everything together.

Whether you're cooking for a date night or looking for a dish that captures some of fall's most iconic flavors, this is the one to make right now. It's worth every bit of effort to celebrate the season.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter

Prep 40 mins

Cook 2 hrs 30 mins

Cooling Time: 10 mins

Total 3 hrs 20 mins

Serves 4

Keep Screen Awake

3 pounds (1.4 kg) sweet potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes)
1 tablespoon (9 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or same weight
3 ounces (85 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, plus more for serving
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (6 3/4 ounces; 191 g), plus more for dusting and shaping
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces; 113 g), plus 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce; 14 g) chilled unsalted butter for finishing
Leaves from 1 large sprig fresh sage (about 15 large and small leaves)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, optional (see notes)
Lemon zest, for serving
Aleppo pepper, for serving

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Place 3 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface. Working with 1 sheet at a time, place about 2 potatoes in center. Fold up foil and crimp edges to tightly seal. Repeat with remaining potatoes and foil. Transfer pouches to a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven. Set oven to 300°F (150°C). Roast until a thin skewer inserted into potatoes meets some resistance, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Carefully unwrap and discard foil and place unwrapped potatoes in an even layer on the same baking sheet. Increase oven temperature to 400°F (205ºC), and roast until sweet potatoes are caramelized and a thin skewer inserted into potatoes meets no resistance, about 30 minutes (see notes). Remove potatoes from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle, 10 to 20 minutes. (Set baking sheet aside and do not turn off oven.)

Serious Eats / Vy Tran
Transfer sweet potatoes to a work surface or cutting board. Using tongs to hold hot potatoes, slice each in half lengthwise.
Using a spoon, scoop out sweet potato flesh, and transfer flesh to a large bowl. Add salt and mash with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. Line reserved baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer potato mixture to aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and spread it into an even layer. Return potatoes to oven and cook until they appear drier, about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Serious Eats / Vy Tran
Press potato flesh onto a clean work surface, spreading it into an even layer, and allow steam to escape for a few minutes. Top evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano and drizzle egg yolks all over potatoes.

Serious Eats / Vy Tran
Sift flour evenly on top of sweet potatoes. Using a bench scraper, chop down repeatedly all over to cut Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, and flour into potatoes. Use a bench scraper to gather the shaggy sweet potato mixture into a loose mound. Pat it together, adding flour to the dough and work surface as necessary, until mixture holds together. Shape mixture into a roughly 15-inch log (log won't be perfectly smooth or firm).

Serious Eats / Vy Tran
Clean work area well and dust work surface and sweet potato log with fresh flour. Using bench scraper, slice off a roughly 1-inch-thick portion of dough and roll into a snake about 1/2-inch thick; use a light touch as you roll, trying to use your palms more than your fingers, and dusting as necessary with flour to prevent sticking. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer snakes to a well-floured area or baking sheets as you go.

Serious Eats / Vy Tran
Using bench scraper, cut each snake into 1-inch portions, trimming off uneven ends as necessary. Transfer gnocchi to a well-floured baking sheet or other well-floured surface.

Serious Eats / Vy Tran
Bring a large pot of very well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt 8 tablespoons (4 ounces; 113 g) butter in a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until it foams. Add sage and fry until very aromatic and milk solids in butter begin to brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Set aside off heat.

Serious Eats / Vy Tran
Using a bench scraper or slotted spatula to scoop them up, transfer gnocchi to boiling water. Once they're all transferred, gently stir once with a spider skimmer or slotted spoon to prevent sticking. Cook until all the gnocchi float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook until gnocchi is soft yet cooked through, without any raw flour flavor, about 1 minute.
Using spider or slotted spoon, scoop gnocchi directly into skillet with sage butter, allowing some of the water clinging to them to come along. Cook gnocchi in sage butter over medium-high heat, tossing very gently, until gnocchi are glossy and evenly coated with butter, about 1 minute. Off heat, finish gnocchi with lemon juice, if using, and 1 tablespoon chilled butter. Toss very gently until gnocchi is evenly coated in a creamy sauce.

Serious Eats / Vy Tran
Carefully spoon gnocchi into serving plates and top generously with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon zest, and aleppo pepper. Serve immediately.

Serious Eats / Vy Tran

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, potato masher or fork, bench scraper, large pot, large stainless steel skillet, spider skimmer or slotted spoon

Notes

If saving time is a priority, you can skip the slow-roast method described in the steps. To roast the potatoes in the oven more quickly, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 375ºF (190ºC). Puncture the sweet potatoes in several spots with a fork or paring knife, arrange them on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and roast until a fork slides easily into the center and the skins are lightly browned and crisp, about 1 1/4 hours.

For an even faster option, the microwave works too: Pierce the potatoes four or five times, microwave for 5 minutes, then continue in 1-minute bursts until they're soft. Set potatoes aside until they're cool enough to handle.

Just keep in mind that these quicker approaches don't keep the sweet potatoes in the enzyme-active range long enough for meaningful starch-to-maltose conversion—and in the microwave, there's virtually none—so the sweetness won't be as deep as it is with the slow roast.

A small splash of lemon juice at the end adds brightness that balances the richness of the brown-butter sauce. Omit it if you prefer a more classic flavor profile.

Aleppo pepper adds a subtle, warm kick, but if you don't have it on hand, you can substitute a mix of mostly sweet paprika plus a small pinch of cayenne for gentle heat.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Gnocchi is best eaten immediately, but leftovers can safely be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat gnocchi, warm them gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water or broth.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
839	Calories
35g	Fat
110g	Carbs
23g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	839
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g	44%
Saturated Fat 19g	97%
Cholesterol 265mg	88%
Sodium 1438mg	63%
Total Carbohydrate 110g	40%
Dietary Fiber 13g	46%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 69mg	346%
Calcium 357mg	27%
Iron 6mg	31%
Potassium 1785mg	38%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.