Sage air fried gnocchi recipe

I was very lucky at Christmas to get a Ninja air fryer. It’s a dual drawer one, exactly the one I’d been researching. So we’ve been experimenting with different things to cook, and working out what is better in the aga or pan, and what works better in the air fryer.  This time I decided to try air fried gnocchi. Rather than a spicy version, I stuck with a simple crispy sage gnocchi recipe.

Can you air fry gnocchi?

Gnocchi is really versatile – most people cook it in boiling water which makes them really soft. But you can also pan fry. If you can pan fry or bake a food, then chances are you can cook it in an airfryer. So yes, it’s easy to airfry gnocchi.

With only a couple of ingredients, crisping the gnocchi up makes a bit of a treat meal.  While boiling gnocchi is super fast, using the airfryer changes the texture from soft and cloudy, to crispy with a soft inside.

Flavouring gnocchi

Gnocchi is lovely with just simple herbs, it takes on flavours really nicely. But you don’t need too much to make a delicious meal (the same with pasta).

I’d seen a cajun version of crispy gnocchi but I wanted to stick with italian flavours. I would recommend sticking with shop bought gnocchi for this. Whenever I’ve make gnocchi it’s always been more fragile, so might not stick together through the shaking phase.

I made mine and had it topped with mozzarella which melted, and then drizzled it with a garlic and herb dip. You could just drizzle over some melted butter, because a simple sage and butter topping goes so well with gnocchi.

I can see these working really well for parties, or a movie evening. Just serve in a bowl, with cocktail sticks, and a dip of warmed passata or another cold dip of your choice. They are better as they come out hot in my opinion. But I’m sure I’d happily pick at them too if they were on offer.

If you want to vary the seasoning, you can use any flavours you want. Spice it up with cajun or paprika, or stick with dried herbs.

Obviously all air fryers are different, but mine was quite happy at 200C airfrying these in one basket for 12 minutes.

Crispy air fried gnocchi recipe

• Serves 2
• Cook 12 mins

Ingredients

• 1 pack of gnocchi (I use from the chilled area in store)
• 1 tbsp Oil
• Sage (I use dried to give the crispy outside)
• Optional, ½ a mozzarella ball
• To serve – sauce or dip of choice (warm or hot, I used a garlic and herb Pizza Express dip I had in the fridge)

Instructions

1. In a bowl or bag put the gnocchi and drizzle in the oil and then shake in the sage. Shake or stir to mix.

2. Put the gnocchi into the air fryer drawer. Air fry at 200C for 12 minutes, shaking a couple of times.

3. At the last shake I also added in some pieces of mozzarella (not grated, just from a mozzarella ball) although this is optional. 

4. Once cooked tip into pasta bowls and eat with sauce or melted butter drizzled over (and more cheese if you want).

A mixed green salad would go well alongside it.

I’m going to try lots of different seasonings with my gnocchi in future, but I think this will always be a favourite.

Have you used your air fryer for gnocchi?

Why not try these other recipes

• Tomato, pepper and bacon pasta sauce
• Benefits of batch cooking
• Chicken caprese recipe