Have you ever madepotato gnocchi?
If you have, then you know that the process can be tricky at best.
What you want are light, fluffy dumpling pillows.
Elise Bauer
What we often get is dense, chewy dough balls.
Gnocchi with ricotta cheese is much more forgiving than the potato version.
The dough holds together better, and the result is likely to be more pillow-like than chewy.
Elise Bauer
You want a light touch, gently stretching the dough outwards as you roll it into shape.
A heavy touch will compress the dough.
The sauce is a simple one, just tomatoes and goat cheese with a hint of garlic.
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But you’re able to use any favorite sauce with the gnocchi.
Add spinach and cook until tender, about 1 minute.
Add the spinach, egg, salt, and half of the ricotta to a food processor.
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Pulse until completely blended.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl, mix in the remaining ricotta and the Parmesan cheese.
Stir a pinch of nutmeg into the flour.
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Add the flour in by hand, starting with a half of the flour.
Mix everything with your hands until the mixture holds together as a dough.
Put the dough out on a lightly floured smooth, clean surface.
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Flour your hands lightly.
This is the tricky part.
The trick is to stretch the dough sideways as you are rolling.
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Roll the dough out until the roll is about the size of a middle finger.
Cut each roll into 1-inch pieces.
Let the gnocchi fall back down.
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Place the gnocchi on a lightly floured cookie sheet.
At this point they can be cooked, or kept in the refrigerator several hours or overnight.
To cook the gnocchi, fill a large wide pot half-way with water.
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Bring to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt for every quart of water.
Once the salt has dissolved, gently drop the gnocchi in the water, one by one.
As the gnocchi cooks, they will rise to the surface of the water after a couple minutes.
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Use a slotted spoon to remove the risen gnocchi from the pot, place in a serving bowl.
Sometimes the gnocchi can stick a little at the bottom.
If you suspect this, nudge them a little to unstick them.
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As you remove some gnocchi, you’re free to add a few more to the pan.
The Sauce
While you are cooking the gnocchi, make the sauce.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat.
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Add the garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned on all sides.
Remove and discard the garlic.
Use a potato masher to break up any solid pieces of tomato, you want a rough puree.
Add more salt to taste.
Serve gnocchi with the sauce and extra grated Parmesan.
Recipe adapted from one by Sacramento chefBiba Caggiano.
