like buttahhhh.

i’m not going to lie: it’s been face-meltingly hot here in florida over the past couple of days. i like to be cool in general (you can always put on more clothes, right?), so i have my wall unit on pretty much all the time from may-mid-october (but don’t worry, it clicks off when it hits a certain temperature, so it’s slightly more eco-friendly than expected). this weekend, particularly sunday, was killer, though. i was out and about for a good portion of the afternoon and when i got home and trudged up the stairs with my bags, i expected to be a hit with a wave of icy air.

instead, i was hit with a wave of bewilderment. “is my air working right?” i wondered. sure, it wasn’t hot in my apartment – but it wasn’t instant-relief-giving cool, either. alas!

turns out the air, which i’ve had problems with before, is totally fine – it’s just that hot outside (and i’m apparently just that big a baby). in fact, as of 9 p.m. it was still 89 degrees. yuck.

anyway, after a lot of complaining to oscar (...yes, my cat) and an hour spent laying on my bed in front of the a.c., you’re going to laugh when i tell you what i made for dinner – or think i’m nuts. a cool, leafy salad? nope. some gazpacho? um, think again. a veggie burger? negatory.

i made potato gnocchi. with brown butter and sage sauce.

yep, it’s probably one of the richer things you can eat on a hot night – but it’s comfort food, and it’s what i craved. not to mention it’s incredibly easy and really delicious. also, i’d eaten pretty well all day, so i didn’t mind having a butter sauce, which i don’t make super often. i picked up some organic, store-bought gnocchi at whole foods and adapted my version of this dish from one i’d seen giada de laurentiis make on an episode of everyday italian. it was delicious; the sage immediately infused the butter with a great flavor and scent, and it was perfect with the mild gnocchi.

a quick note: after reading heidi swanson’s fantastic cookbook, super natural cooking (my kitchen bible, seriously), i agree with her assertion that using good-quality organic butter makes a huge difference. this recipe is a great place to showcase that difference.

potato gnocchi with brown butter and sage sauce

1 portion fresh or frozen potato gnocchi (about 13 pieces, according to the package i bought)
~2 tbsp. unsalted, good-quality butter
a couple of fresh sage leaves, to taste

gently wash sage leaves; set aside. in a medium pot, bring enough water to cook one serving of pasta to a boil. place gnocchi in pot and stir until it floats to the top, about 2-3 minutes. remove gently, with a slotted spoon, and plate. meanwhile, while gnocchi cooks, melt the butter in a nonstick saucepan and add sage leaves, allowing the butter to be infused with the sage flavor. cook butter until it’s brown (this won’t take long, so watch your pan), then remove from heat and drizzle over the gnocchi. sprinkle with grated nutmeg, serve immediately and enjoy.

p.s. totally unrelated, but you have got to read this. if it doesn't make you laugh, i'll give you a cookie. i promise.

(photo above: i forgot to take a picture of the gnocchi, so i thought this photo, by andy sewell [via design*sponge] would suffice. so summery, no? anyway, next time i make this dish, i'll snap a pic.]