This 5 ingredient browned butter and sage lemon gnocchi couldn’t be any easier! A perfect main or side dish.
I know, I know. Another savory recipe. I’ll get back to the sweets later in the week! But for now, Mr. T wanted to share this with you. – Erin
Hey everyone, It has been a while since I last got around to making something for you and I am sorry for that! If you have been around in the last couple of days, you might know with what I have been busy this whole time… Thank you so much for all the positive feedback, it really made my day week!

Anyway, today is a special day for Erin and me and since I normally wake up a good while before Erin, I thought I’d make her breakfast. So I went to the recipe index and looked for something to sweeten her start to the day.
I decided to make her these tasty apple fritters. Everything went smoothly until I had fry them. Well, to cut a long story short: my breakfast surprise plan was thwarted by a malfunctioning thermometer. Instead of 375°F the oil was probably double that and so the fritters turned to charcoal within like five seconds. The light smoke rising from the pot should have warned me, but my trust in technology was bigger.

Since I didn’t want to ruin the whole batch, I decided it is best to consult with Erin. With a shriveled black wannabe fritter in my hands and repeatedly mumbling “I did them at 375, I followed your directions!” I woke her up. That certainly surprised her, just not the way I had intended it to. What a sad story, huh? Luckily I had not dumped all of the dough in the pot at once, so we were able to have a little fritter fest in the afternoon. I had enough of hot oil for one day though, so Erin made them herself.
In order to make up for a ruined breakfast surprise, I decided to do the unthinkable: attempting to make two recipes in one day! We’ve had these gnocchi a couple of times already and we both like them a lot. They are super quick (about five minutes) and easy to make — I like!!, they produce almost no dishes — I like!!!, and, most importantly, they just taste divine. :)

I used the potato version of gnocchi which come in nice little bags and should be available either fresh or frozen in almost every supermarket. One of these days we have to try and make gnocchi from scratch (recipes suggestions in the comments, please!) instead of using store-bought ones, but I can’t really imagine them being that much better than the fresh ones I got at Aldi. If you need gluten-free gnocchi, try these.
Buon appetito and please let us know how you like the recipe!
Browned Butter and Sage Lemon Gnocchi

- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 1 large or 2 small servings
Ingredients
- 10.5 ounces (300 grams) gnocchi (use gluten-free or whole wheat gnocchi, if desired)
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons chopped sage
- 1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 - 4 tablespoons Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- garlic powder – optional, to taste
- salt, to taste
Directions
- Prepare the gnocchi according to the package's instructions.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sage and cook until the butter starts to turn brown and smells slightly nutty. Be careful that it doesn't burn.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add the gnocchi, stir them a little in the sauce, and then add 2 tablespoons of cheese. Add garlic powder, if using, and salt to taste, and more lemon juice and cheese, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- These are really best when freshly prepared. We've tried leftovers in the microwave and they're not nearly as delicious.
51 comments on “Browned Butter and Sage Lemon Gnocchi (gluten-free, whole grain options)” — Add one!
I’ve never wanted gnocchi so bad in my life!! These sound divine!
So cute–the story and these gnocchi. One of my favorite preparations and these guys look so pillowy and soft!
Thanks, Jean! :)
Erin, you got me at ‘brown butter’! Say no more! I want this for dinner! Sage and lemon in my gnocchi (or pasta or risotto) is just perfect!
Erin, I’m so impressed by your hubby to even try something like fritters and I can totally see the whole thing happening lol! This dish looks really tasty and quick is what I like too. Great job Mr. T.
You captured me at BROWN BUTTER! Also at Gnocchi! And at SAGE! All of my favorite things rolled up into one perfect dish. Delish!!
Yum!! Way to go Mr. T! These gnocchi look perfect for a quick dinner, I just wish I had all the stuff in the house so we could have it tonight!
Thanks, Erin! And they really are super quick. But kind of evil because they’re SO good and then you have to eat them all. ;)
It’s so much fun to make gnocchi from scratch. You can’t beat the flavor. This is lovely with the browned butter and sage, Erin:)
I am honored that you, an Italian, would call my gnocchi lovely. Thank you. :)
Absolutely mouthwatering gnocchi (I never know if I pronounce this word correctly)! And so easy to make!
Haha. I have the same problem, Julia! I say it guh-nok-ee and it makes my husband cringe every time. Oh well. It tastes good. That’s all that’s important! :)
Say the “gn” the same as the “ny” in “canyon” and it will be “perfetto”!
I love this dish. So simple..I have not had gnochi in for ever. I used to, but for some reason I stopped. I think having savory dishes is a great addition to the already sweet recipes you have so breaking it up is good, just my opinion :-)
Thanks, Miryam! I think you and the other bloggers like the savory recipes, but the non-bloggers don’t seem to really care for them. At least that’s what my FB and other stats are telling me. :( But thanks for the support!
Bravo to you Mr. T, they look amazing! Of course brown butter makes anything wonderful!
Thank you!
Mr. T, these look amazing. I love the combo of sage and lemon. How sweet of you to try and surprise Erin. Erin, I love your new look–fancy!
Thanks for the compliments on the new design and the gnocchi, Jennie! I normally don’t like lemony stuff too much, but these gnocchi are a whole different story. :)
These sound absolutely wonderful. I’ve never had gnocchi before that I know of, so I looked up the basic recipe you gave a link for, and checked out the technique. Seems like everyone wants to put them in marinara sauce, which to me is ordinary. I like different flavors, and the combo here suits my tastes perfectly. By the way, for those of us who don’t do much baking, it’s really nice to see the savory recipes, too.
Thanks, Susan! I’m really happy to hear that you appreciate the savory recipes. :) I’ve tried making gnocchi before, but it was a disaster. And like Mr. T said, I can’t imagine them being even better than the store bough ones. I really love to do everything from scratch, but I think this will be one thing I pass on. I hope you find gnocchi or make them one day yourself!
I was able to figure out and make the gnocchi, and it wasn’t too difficult. I have learned a couple of things, like DON’T STACK THEM – THEY STICK TOGETHER!!!! I had forgotten about this recipe, and I think I’ll try it with the ones I have left over. I was wondering what to do with them, and now, wonder no longer. :-)
Yum, yum, yum – Erin these look so good. I’m totally on the brown-butted band wagon now!
Thank you, Michael! I don’t usually use much better but here? I’m totally okay with it. Olive oil or coconut oil just wouldn’t be the same. ;)
Awww. At least you tried, and it’s the thought that counts. I’m sure Erin would have been ecstatic if the fritters turned out well :)
This gnochi looks delicious! I still have yet to try it, but one of these days I shall!
You hear that, Erin? It is the thought that counts! ;) Thank you Becca! Good luck on your first gnocchi, although there really is nothing you can do to mess those up. Maybe except for burning the butter, but I am certain you won’t have a problem with that.
This is such a lovely way to serve gnocchi – so simple but so delicious.
PS thanks for the shout out to my gnocchi post!
No problem! I remembered those gnocchi from when you posted them and had to add them. :)
Such a cute post! I love when my man gets in the kitchen! Maybe I’ll forward this recipe onto him so he gets the hint ;)
Thanks, Ashley! And you should totally send this recipe to him. If Mr. T can do it, anybody can. ;)
Come on now, I am not that untalented! I just lack practice. ;)
Ok that’s seriously SO sweet that you not only tried to make breakfast for Erin, but an involved one at that! My husband would not be brave enough to fry :) Kudos on the gnocchi it looks fantastic! Oh, and thanks for sharing my link – much appreciated.
Thank you, Tracey. So do your gnocchi! I like the detailed instructions and might attempt to make them from scratch in a moment of bravery.
I love, love, love gnocchi! It’s my fav! This recipe sounds delish! Look forward to trying it out!
I hope you give it a shot! Let me know how it goes. :)
I love gnocchi and there’s nothing better than brown butter and sage!
I know, right?! This is the only thing we use sage on, but I still find myself buying these huge containers of sage, thinking that they’ll last for months. And then they’re gone in weeks. Maybe we love this gnocchi too much. ;)
Yummmm this is so simple but it looks amazing! And don’t apologise about posting too many savoury recipes, I love them! :)
Thank you, Becca! I’m SO happy to hear that there are at least a few people out there who don’t groan when I post a savory recipe. Yay!
Aww, what a great husband cooking TWO things for Erin in one day. Sorry the fritters were a bit of a problem, but yay for the gnocchi – they look great!
They also taste great! We still had half a bag left and Erin had a long day at work, so I made them again yesterday. :)
I still havent tried gnocchi! I really need to get out and get some! This looks really good. I need to see if my hubs will make it for me ;) Happy Anniversary to you two, and its the thought that counts for trying to surprise her ;) On my hubs birthday last year I was trying to wake him up with breakfast made, and instead I set off the smoke alarm. Woke him up for sure, but not the way I wanted to haha! So I know how you feel!!
Hey Carla, thank you for your kind words. The smoke alarm thing is just too funny. We don’t have one, yet, otherwise I bet that would have happened to me, too. About the gnocchi: definitely try them! They are like candy, but savory.
This looks fabulous! I love when my hubby cooks for me too. I give you props for attempting the fritters…I don’t think he would even try that!
Thanks Cassie! I bet he could make you these fritters no problem. They are really easy to make provided you a) have a working thermometer or b) do not switch off your common sense as soon as you are in follow the recipe mode. ;)
Your fritter fiasco sounds like 95% of the time my boyfriend tries to cook (but he makes the world’s greatest grilled cheese!). These gnocchi sound so tasty. I buy the kind in a pack on the shelf, but nothing beats fresh (so long as someone else is making them!)
Oh no, 95% is way too high! But great that he is trying nevertheless. You don’t happen to have a good grilled cheese recipe at hand? I do not think that I ever had some, but it sounds delicious…
Hello Mr T, nice to see you over here. Sorry about morning fritters, I went through the recipe and will try to make them soon. I do not have a thermometer so hopefully I won’t repeat your “situation” ;)
And I’m glad to see this gnocchi. My Mr T is crazy about risotto lately. We should organize a kind of exchange dinner, so Tomasz can make his risotto, you could make gnocchi and me and Erin could drink some wine and chat, hahaha. Hope it doesn’t sound too bad.
Hello Marta, the exchange dinner sounds like a good plan and you girls watching us guys cooking does not sound bad at all. Is Tomasz up for it? :) Erin showed me your take on the fritters and they look professionally good! I am happy that the fritter disaster did not repeat itself. See you soon!
Love, love, love this! So fun when Mr. T posts :) Annnnd love the new design!!
Hey Katrina, I am so happy that you enjoy my posts and the new design! Thanks!