Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Gnocchi with Lemon and Sage Butter
A simple, elegant gnocchi recipe tossed in lemon and sage butter, then air fried until crisp and golden.
Ingredients
- 500g fresh gnocchi
- 60g unsalted butter
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- Zest of one lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
Method
- Blanch the gnocchi in salted boiling water until they float to the surface, then drain well.
- Melt the butter with the sage leaves in a saucepan over a medium-low heat until the sage is crisp, then stir in the lemon zest and set aside.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C for 3 minutes.
- Toss the blanched gnocchi in the sage butter until coated.
- Arrange the gnocchi in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 10-12 minutes, shaking halfway through.
- Serve with extra lemon zest and Parmesan, if desired.
Why this works in an air fryer
Blanching gelatinises the potato starch so the centres stay tender; draining then air-frying drives off surface moisture. The butter gives rapid browning and transfers heat evenly, while sage crisps as its moisture evaporates. Lemon zest is added off direct heat to preserve its volatile oils rather than making it bitter.
Equipment notes
Timing assumes a 5-6 litre basket with 500g gnocchi in one loose layer; in a smaller basket cook in two batches. A single-drawer air fryer browns most at the edges, so shake and rotate the pile well; in a dual-zone model, split evenly between drawers and start checking 2 minutes earlier.
Common pitfalls
- Gnocchi look pale and feel leathery at minute 10: they were too wet after blanching; spread them on kitchen paper for 5 minutes before coating, then return for 2-4 minutes at 200°C.
- Butter smells nutty-bitter or has dark specks before air-frying: the sage butter has gone past browned into burnt; strain out solids or remake over lower heat, then add lemon zest off the heat.
- Crisp patches but soft, steamed sides: the basket is overcrowded or the gnocchi are touching in clumps; separate them into a single layer and cook a second batch rather than extending one crowded batch.
- Gnocchi split or puff into hollow shells: they have been boiled too long after floating; lift them as soon as they rise, drain gently, and reduce air-fryer time by 1-2 minutes for very small fresh gnocchi.
Variations & substitutions
- Use shelf-stable vacuum-packed gnocchi instead of fresh; blanch just until loosened, as it is denser and usually needs the full 12 minutes to crisp.
- Swap half the butter for olive oil; it reduces milk-solid browning, so the gnocchi will be less nutty but slightly more forgiving at 200°C.
- Add finely grated garlic to the butter after removing it from the heat; it will perfume the fat without scorching in the air fryer, but avoid minced garlic pieces which can burn.
- Use thyme or rosemary instead of sage; chop rosemary finely because whole needles harden, and check a minute early as woody herbs can brown faster.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers chilled for up to 2 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4-6 minutes in a single layer until hot and re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
