Home » Mains » Brown Butter Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Vegetables
ByLaura Lawless, BASc Published Last updated
15 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full disclosure statement.
↓ Jump to Recipe
Perfectly roasted vegetables and gnocchi, covered in the most amazing brown butter sage sauce. This Sheet Pan Gnocchi is a quick and easy dinner with delicious fall flavour!
I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for more than a year and this is my first sheet pan post. I love these types of meals for busy weeknights. It’s fast and there’s minimal clean up. I suggest serving it with a simple green salad.
This Sheet Pan Gnocchi has so much flavour thanks to the brown butter sage sauce. The sage gets crispy from frying in the butter and the sauce perfectly complements the butternut squash. You’re going to love the cozy fall vibes in this meal.
Ingredients
For the gnocchi
- Gnocchi – I used a one-pound package of shelf-stable gnocchi, but you could also use a frozen variety and just make sure they’re not stuck together so they will cook evenly.
- Broccoli – cut into bite-sized florets
- Butternut squash – 1/2-inch dice. It’s important to cut them small so that they will cook within the same time as the other vegetables.
- Red onion – a medium-sized onion, diced
- Olive oil – to coat the vegetables and gnocchi for roasting
- Dried thyme leaves – thyme goes nicely with the sage in the sauce
- Sea salt – add more to taste after roasting and adding the sauce, if necessary
- Onion powder – for flavour
- Ground black pepper
For the brown butter sage sauce
- Unsalted butter – unsalted is preferred over salted for making brown butter due to its lower water content. You also have more control over the saltiness if you’re adding the salt yourself!
- Garlic – for flavour
- Fresh sage leaves – for amazing autumnal flavour and crispy fried texture
How to make it
Step one: Prepare the gnocchi and vegetables
Preheat your oven to 425 °F. In a large bowl, mix together the gnocchi, broccoli, butternut squash, red onion, olive oil, thyme, onion powder, salt and pepper. Toss until the vegetables and gnocchi are evenly covered in oil and seasoning.
Spread out the mixture evenly on the sheet pans (or just one pan – see my tip below). Roast for about 25 minutes, tossing the gnocchi and vegetables and rotating the pans about halfway through the cooking time.
Step 2: Make the sauce
While the gnocchi is roasting, make the brown butter sauce. Heat a light-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat (no hotter, you don’t want to burn the butter). Melt the butter until it’s bubbling, then add the minced garlic. Cook for about a minute, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, then add the sliced sage leaves.
Continue to stir the sauce so that the water evaporates from the sauce and the milk solids cook evenly. Watch it carefully for the change in colour (do not walk away!). It’s done when you see a nice golden/brown colour and it has a nutty aroma. Carefully transfer the brown butter to a heat safe bowl, to prevent it from cooking further (you don’t want it to burn!).
Step 3: Add the sauce and serve
Once the gnocchi is done roasting, transfer all of it to one sheet pan and drizzle it with the brown butter sauce. You may not need all of the sauce – add enough to reach your desired level of sauciness. Toss until everything is evenly coated and serve immediately.
Tips for Success
Use two sheet pans for better roasting. This recipe works using just one sheet pan (if it’s large – I suggest an 18″x13″ sheet pan), but the vegetables will be closer together and steam while they roast. I prefer using two sheet pans so that there’s more air flow between the vegetables, this way they caramelize and get crispier edges.
If you use one sheet pan, add the oil and seasoning right on the pan. When I’m using two sheet pans I like to mix everything up in a bowl so that I know the oil and seasoning are evenly distributed. When using one pan, I just add everything right on the pan to avoid cleaning another dish.
Cut the butternut squash quite small (about 1/2-inch dice). The squash is the vegetable that takes the longest to cook. Cutting it small ensures it will be done within the 25 minute cook time.
Watch the butter carefully while you’re making the sauce. You want to remove the butter from heat as soon as you achieve the nice golden/brown colour. It’s easy to burn brown butter, so don’t walk away while it’s cooking! I love this post for tips on how to make brown butter – it’s worth a read if you’ve never browned butter before!
More easy dinners
- Sweet Potato Coconut Curry
- Creamy Vegan One-Pot Pasta
- Stuffed Pepper Skillet
- Thai Pumpkin Curry
Brown Butter Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Vegetables
Laura Lawless, BASc
Perfectly roasted vegetables and gnocchi, covered in the most amazing brown butter sage sauce. This Sheet Pan Gnocchi is a quick and easy dinner with delicious fall flavour!
5 from 9 votes
Click stars to rate now! ↑
Print Pin Rate Save
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Ingredients
For the gnocchi
- 1lb package gnocchi (shelf stable or frozen)
- 3 heaping cups bite-size broccoli florets
- 2 heaping cups half-inch dice butternut squash (see note 1)
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ground black pepper (a few turns)
For the sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup / 113g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, sliced
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Lay out one or two sheet pans (see note 2).
To a large bowl, add the gnocchi, broccoli florets, butternut squash, red onion, olive oil, thyme, sea salt, onion powder and black pepper. Toss to combine until the vegetables and gnocchi are evenly coated in oil and seasoning.
Divide the mixture between the two sheet pans, spreading it out in a single layer for even roasting.
Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once halfway and switching the position of the pans for even roasting. It's done when the butternut squash is fork tender.
While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the brown butter sauce. Heat a light-bottomed medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat (no hotter, you don't want to burn the butter and a light-bottomed pan will help you see the colour). Melt the butter. Once the butter is bubbling, add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
Add the sliced sage to the butter and continue to stir frequently. Watch the butter carefully (do not walk away!). The brown butter is done once you see the milk solids turning a golden/brown colour and you smell a nutty aroma. Once it's done, carefully pour the brown butter to a heat-safe bowl so that it stops cooking and doesn't burn.
When the gnocchi is done roasting, carefully transfer it all to one sheet pan, then drizzle the sauce over top (you may not need to use all the sauce – adjust to your taste). Toss until the gnocchi mixture is evenly coated, season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Notes
- Be sure to cut the butternut squash fairly small (1/2-inch dice), to ensure it cooks fully within the same time as the other vegetables.
- You can technically use just one sheet pan if you’re using a very large one (13″x18″). Just note that the vegetables will be less caramelized because they will steam each other from being closer together (less air flow between them). If you make it on one pan, you can skip using the large bowl to add the oil and seasonings and just add these to the gnocchi and veggies right on the pan.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 996mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8433IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 6mg
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review below and share your results!
Rate this recipe Pin this recipe
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a review below!
I’d love to hear from you!
Hey, I’m Laura!
Creator of The Recipe Well
If you’re looking for easy meals and Instant Pot recipes, you’re in the right place! I use my nutrition degree to create simple, approachable recipes that will help you find your happy place in the kitchen.
