Butter and Sage Gnocchi
Sage gives butter a strong herbal aroma that soft gnocchi can carry without much else. The pairing feels especially expressive with sweet potato or squash, where the herb's savory character contrasts with the dough's sweetness.
The dough changes the balance
With potato gnocchi, sage is one of the first flavors you notice. Orange squash and sweet potato doughs bring their own sweetness, making the combination more sweet-savory. Spinach gnocchi take it in a greener direction. A simple sauce can make those differences easier to taste than a dense coating would.
Sage butter isn't always brown butter
Pale butter keeps the dairy flavor mild and the sage more exposed. Brown butter brings an additional toasted aroma, which suits the sweetness of squash particularly well. Both belong under the sage-butter umbrella. The darker version is a different flavor choice, not the definition of every butter and sage sauce.
