Ricotta Gnocchi

I have been so behind on posts lately!  Ack!  I’m sorry.  Hopefully, this super simple recipe for ricotta gnocchi will make up for my absence.  I made this not long ago and served it with roasted broccoli and it was delicious.  It had the flavor of ricotta cheese and maintained its pillowy texture – not heavy at all.

Most gnocchi is made with potatoes, but frankly, the prep for potato gnocchi was way too time consuming for that particular night.  Ricotta it was!

All that is required for this recipe is one bowl and a large floured surface – and some patience.  Because the dough itself is a bit soft, you’ll need to flour your hands well and make sure the surface is floured, in order to roll the dough into ropes.  Be patient and don’t worry about the way they look.  They’ll taste amazing.

As for the ricotta – go for whole milk ricotta when choosing at the store.  It’ll be thicker and have more flavor.  If you find that there is a lot of liquid in the container when you open it, dump the whole lot into a fine mesh strainer and let it drain.  The less liquid, the easier it’ll come together.

Feel free to add herbs or even lemon zest to the dough.  I stayed pretty basic with mine – nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Parmigiano cheese.  But I could see minced thyme or chives and lemon zest being really lovely – especially for a spring or or summer night.  And sauce?  Well, you could make a browned butter with sage, thyme, or rosemary if you like.  I also think that a light tomato sauce would be wonderful with this dish.  The great thing about ricotta gnocchi is it is so versatile.  It’s delicious on its own, but it can also be dressed up in any number of ways.  Go nuts!  You can also freeze whatever gnocchi you don’t boil and use it later!

Ricotta Gnocchi
Adapted from Gormet

Ingredients:
2 cups (1 pound) whole-milk ricotta
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
pinch grated (fresh) nutmeg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface and hands
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

Stir together ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Add flour, stirring to form a soft, wet dough.

Shape dough on well-floured surface with floured hands into 2 (1-inch-thick) ropes.  Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces with a lightly floured knife or bench scraper.  Put in one layer on a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place sheet in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  This will stiffen up the cheese and ensure they don’t fall apart in the the water.

Cook gnocchi in 2 batches (if using all of it) in a pasta pot of boiling salted water, adding a few at a time to pot and stirring occasionally, until cooked through (cut one in half to check), 3 to 4 minutes per batch.  Lift out with slotted spoon or spider and drain in colander.

Dress with sauce of your choosing and enjoy!

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