This Gnocchi Dish With Brown Butter Sage Sauce Isn’t What You’d Expect

Celeriac is an underrated root vegetable—it's actually nutrient-dense and has great cooking potential. Try it as the hero ingredient in gnocchi, topped with brown butter sage sauce.

Celeriac Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes  
Chill time: 30 minutes    
Cook time:  15 minutes   
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

Gnocchi

  • 1 medium celeriac (about 1 kg), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour

Brown-Butter Sage Sauce

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup sage leaves
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan

Directions

  1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle parchment with flour. Place celeriac in a large pot and fill with water until celeriac is covered. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Drain and transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Transfer pureed celeriac to a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a clean dish towel and once cool enough to handle, draw in the sides of the cheesecloth or towel and wring out as much liquid as possible. Leave to drain over strainer in fridge for 30 minutes.
  3. Transfer celeriac to a medium bowl. Add egg yolk, salt, pepper, grated parmesan and stir together. Fold in flour until just combined.
  4. Transfer celeriac to clean, floured work surface. Divide dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope, about 1-inch thick, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking, then cut ropes into 1-inch long gnocchi. Transfer gnocchi to parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with flour.
  5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in two batches, drop in gnocchi and cook until gnocchi are puffed and float to the top, 3 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
  6. Heat butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, add garlic and sage leaves and cook until butter is golden and garlic and sage are fragrant, about 5 minutes.
  7. Increase heat to medium. Add cooked gnocchi to skillet along with grated parmesan and lemon juice and toss gently, adding cooking liquid, a little at a time, as needed, to bring the sauce together. Divide among two bowls and top with more black pepper.

Tip: Double the batch and freeze cooked gnocchi in a sealed freezer bag for quick dinners down the line. Thaw in the fridge overnight or for a few hours at room temperature before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Next: Celeriac May Just Be Our New Favourite Vegetable for Fall Dishes

Originally Published in Best Health Canada