Light and Tender Potato Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced all over with a fork
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for dusting and as needed
• Kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• Leaves from 1 large sprig fresh sage
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Put the potatoes on a wire rack over a baking sheet, on a baking sheet covered with a layer of salt, or right on the oven racks. Bake until a fork slides through them easily from edge to center, about 45 minutes.
2. Move the potatoes to your work surface. Hold the hot potatoes with tongs, then cut each one lengthwise down the middle.
3. With a spoon, remove the potato flesh and place it in a ricer or food mill fitted with the finest disk. Press the potatoes out onto a clean work surface, spreading them in an even layer so the steam can lift off for a few minutes.
4. If you are using the egg yolks, drizzle them evenly over the potatoes.
5. Put 1/2 cup flour in a fine-mesh sieve, then tap the sieve over the potatoes so the flour falls in a light, even coating.
6. Use a pastry blender or bench scraper to repeatedly chop through the mixture, working the flour and egg into the potato without mashing it.
7. Gather the rough potato mixture together with a bench scraper and pat it into a loose ball. Flatten it with your hands, fold it over with the bench scraper, then press it down again.
8. Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour to the sieve and dust it over the potato dough. Go on folding and pressing gently, stopping as soon as the dough looks even and holds together. Stick with a fold-and-press motion here, not the dragging, smearing style you would use for bread dough.
9. Flour the potato dough on all sides, then shape it carefully into a log.
10. Clean the work surface thoroughly and sprinkle it with fresh flour. With the bench scraper, cut away a roughly 2-inch-thick piece of dough and roll it into a rope about 1/2 inch thick. Use gentle pressure as you roll, leaning more on your palms than your fingers, and add flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
11. Cut the rope with the bench scraper into 1-inch pieces, trimming away any uneven ends when needed. Move the gnocchi to a generously floured spot or baking sheet, then do the same with the rest of the dough.
12. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. While it heats, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it foams. Add the sage and fry until it smells deeply fragrant and the butter starts to turn lightly brown, then take the skillet off the heat.
13. Lift the gnocchi with a bench scraper or slotted spatula and add them to the boiling water. Stir very gently once with a spider or slotted spoon so they do not stick. When the gnocchi rise to the top, wait about 20 seconds, then taste one; it should be tender and cooked through, with no raw-flour taste.
14. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the gnocchi straight into the skillet with the sage butter, letting a little of the clinging cooking water come with them. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing very carefully and adding a splash of cooking water if the sauce looks greasy or separated, until the gnocchi are covered in a creamy, rich sauce, about 1 minute.
15. Spoon the gnocchi gently into serving dishes and finish with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve right away.