Ricotta Gnocchi

The easiest gnocchi ever!

I love, love, love gnocchi. The little dumplings can be made of almost anything (potato, cheese, sunchokes, etc) and I will gobble them up.

My twin knows my love for gnocchi and she knows my love for simple food. When twin came to visit in August she instructed me on how to make these ricotta gnocchi.

She is a very patient teacher. Twin is an accomplished pastry chef and often teaches a kid camp at her bakery. She teaches them simple food items and often makes these gnocchi with the kids. One glance at the recipe and you can see why. Easy peasy! Add ingredients and mix until dough forms. Love it.

Under twins’ watchful eye I helped to whip up a batch of gnocchi and toss it with a simple sauce from the garden bounty.

This time I served Tall Dark & Handsome a bowl of ricotta gnocchi smothered with a luscious sauce made of Braised Mushrooms.

Gnocchi are very versatile, serve with your favorite sauce or simply toss with butter and nutmeg. If this recipe makes more than you will eat, do not be tempted to hold over any extra dough. Cook all of the gnocchi at once. Store leftover gnocchi in the fridge and reheat in a sauté pan with butter. This recipe halves well and I recommend using  1 med-large egg to do it.

Ricotta Gnocchi   serves 4

• 1lb ricotta (fresh cheese or store-bought)
• 1 to 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1/3c grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt

Begin by whisking the egg in a large bowl. Stir in the ricotta, parmesan, and salt. Add 1 cup of the flour and stir into a dough adding more flour as needed. Do not over mix.

Cut the dough in half or quarters and roll into logs that are less than 1“  thick. Cut gnocchi into ½” pieces.

To cook, work in batches and gently boil the dumplings in simmering water. Once the gnocchi begin to float, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon. The Ricotta Gnocchi are ready to serve.

Enjoy!