Pan-fried Sage Butter Gnocchi

 "Why should a man die who has sage in his garden?", an old proverb.

What's not to love about the delicately decadent Sage Butter flavours to complement all those delicious Italian dishes, such as potato gnocchi, ravioli, and whatever else you decide to explore. Thanks to Ben who writes the food blog, Havoc in the Kitchen, for inspiring me to cook gnocchi. It's a rustic yet comforting and cosy dish of food and is a cinch to make.

 So now I have cooked gnocchi twice with sage butter, using regular gnocchi, and ready to cook pan fried gnocchi. We were thrilled with both and the rich, nutty and fragrant flavours of the olive green Sage leaves and the browned butter which takes this simple dish to restaurant standard. This dish can be cooked in under 30 minutes, and then you will be hooked.  

We are also fortunate to have a healthy sage bush growing in a pot outside our back door. It is a very hardy herb to grow and so convenient to have on hand when needed. The leaves are very pungent and slightly acrid, but they have a very pleasant flavour when cooked. More about sage the herb, later.

Let's cook:

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. (15g) butter (may need a little extra)

450g (1 lb.) pan fried gnocchi or gnocchi that needs to be boiled first (regular)

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tbsp. extra virgin oil (may need a little more)

7-9 sage leaves, whole, sliced or chiffonade ( I doubled the amount because we love them, up to you though)

A pinch of salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add the butter and the olive oil to a large skillet or frying pan (I used my Scanpan) 

Drop in the sage and cook those leaves for 1 minute until you can smell the aroma of those beautifully fragrant leaves.

Add the gnocchi to the pan in a single layer and season them with salt and the smoked paprika. Allow them to cook without touching them at all for a few minutes. You will rewarded with gnocchi bottoms which are golden and crisp. 

Toss them gently to brown the other sides. If the pan and the gnocchi are a little dry, add some more oil or butter or both, about 1 tablespoon to start with.

Remove from the pan, pour over the remaining sage butter and leaves and serve immediately.

Serve as an entree, or with your choice of salad or vegetables.

If you can't find the pan fried gnocchi, and I couldn't the first time I made these, let's talk about cooking regular gnocchi.

Cook them as per the instructions in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes, or until they float to the top. (This will take about 1-2 minutes). Scoop them out with a slotted spatula, drain them and dry them slightly. 

Now that they are cooked, you can proceed to the top of the instructions and start frying them.

Cook's notes and and little bit of background:

I don't want to just focus on the Sage Butter sauce though, as remarkable as it is, as the texture of the Gnocchi is all important to the success of this dish. The texture of gnocchi should be light, soft and pillowy a little like eating fluffy mashed potato, but in a more structured form. I am quite smitten with the sensation of eating gnocchi because of it's unique texture.  It definitely shouldn't be dense, rubbery, or chewy and tough. Frying them in the pan using this method and then coated in the sage butter sauce produces gnocchi with the perfect texture. 

• Gnocchi is authentically Italian, originating back to Ancient Rome as simple flour and water dumplings. Then, bring on the life changing arrival of potatoes in the 16th century with the Columbian Exchange triggered by the voyages of Christopher Columbus, or so history states, and potatoes became a staple in Northern Italy with the scarcity of grain, and the potato version of gnocchi evolved as a result. Semolina, breadcrumbs and squash were also used in the dumplings, more as a peasant style of food, but now we've embraced those ingredients again as culinary delights.
• Gnocchi can also be baked alongside other vegetables and meat in an oven traybake. It browns and crisps up beautifully, and is an easy way to introduce potato to your meal.
• Sage (Salvia officinalis)  is a popular perennial and medicinal herb that is one of the old favourites and thankfully hasn't been lost to us. Over the years it has been highly esteemed for its health-giving properties. The old proverb "Why should a man die who has sage in his garden" highlights this. 
• When growing sage, it prefers a light soil and a sunny position in your garden and should be at it's best in Spring when you may be rewarded with it flowering. I have been once.
• If you like to abide by the Meat Free Monday initiative, then this is the perfect dish for you. 

A couple of other recipes on Happy Retirees Kitchen using sage as the herb:

Homemade Ricotta and Parmesan Ravioli with Sage butter

Slow Cooker Beef Casserole with Sage

Warm wishes,

Pauline