Miso Brown Butter Gnocchi with Crispy Sage
Pillowy potato gnocchi tossed in a silky, rich brown butter sauce infused with savory white miso, balanced with bright lemon juice, and topped with delicate crispy fried sage leaves.
Ingredients
- •1 lb potato gnocchi (fresh or shelf-stable)
- •6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- •20 fresh sage leaves, whole
- •2 tablespoon white miso paste (shiro miso)
- •2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- •1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- •0.5 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- •0.5 cup reserved starchy gnocchi cooking water
- •2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
- • to taste freshly cracked black pepper
- • to taste kosher salt (for boiling water)
Instructions
- 1.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil.
- 2.
In a large skillet, melt unsalted butter over medium heat. Once foaming, add the fresh sage leaves in a single layer. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes until crisp and slightly translucent, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- 3.
Continue cooking the butter over medium-low heat, swirling the pan frequently, until the milk solids turn a golden-brown color and release a nutty aroma, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat temporarily to prevent burning.
- 4.
Stir the minced garlic into the warm browned butter for 30 seconds until fragrant, then whisk in the white miso paste until completely smooth and blended.
- 5.
Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water and cook until they float to the top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water, then drain the gnocchi.
- 6.
Return the skillet to low heat and pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, whisking vigorously into the miso-butter mixture to create an emulsified, glossy sauce.
- 7.
Add the cooked gnocchi directly to the skillet. Gently toss to coat each piece, letting the gnocchi simmer in the sauce for 1 minute (add extra reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if the sauce becomes too thick).
- 8.
Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and half of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, then season with freshly cracked black pepper.
- 9.
Divide the gnocchi among warm bowls. Garnish generously with the crispy sage leaves, toasted pine nuts, and the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Tips
- 💡Use white miso (shiro miso) rather than red miso; its mild, slightly sweet flavor harmonizes perfectly with browned butter without overpowering the delicate gnocchi.
- 💡Always whisk the miso paste into the brown butter off direct heat to prevent the miso from scorching or graining.
- 💡For textural contrast, you can lightly pan-sear the boiled gnocchi in a skillet with a dash of olive oil for 2 minutes to crisp the edges before tossing them into the miso butter sauce.
Recipe from TheCookbook.ai
Created by Basil Roux