Gnocchi With Brown Butter And Sage Pesto Recipe
Brown butter adds a toasted nut flavour to any dish, so using it alongside nuts in this pesto creates a rich depth. Paired with equally strong sage, this pesto holds its own tossed through crispy gnocchi with lots of grated Comté and Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 1kg potato gnocchi
- 100g of unsalted butter
- 30g of sage leaves
- 50g of Parmesan, finely grated
- 40g of Comté cheese, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- 50g of toasted pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 100ml of olive oil
Method · 30 min
- Start by browning the butter for the pesto. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Continue to cook it – it will foam at first, then as the water in the butter evaporates, the milk solids will caramelise at the bottom of the pan – it will smell like nuts and caramel. Pour into a heatproof bowl to stop it cooking. Allow to cool
- Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions then drain and leave to steam dry
- Place the remaining pesto ingredients, except the olive oil, in a small food processor with a pinch of black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped then add the olive oil and brown butter and pulse again to incorporate. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a large sauté or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the drained gnocchi in a single layer and cook for 8 minutes, or until golden, turning occasionally
- Reduce the heat to low and add most of the pesto to the pan. Gently toss the gnocchi until evenly coated and warmed through
- Divide the crispy gnocchi between warmed bowls. Spoon over the remaining pesto and finish with an extra grating of Comté and a sprinkle of black pepper
