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| Gnocchi on the paddle! |
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| Gnocchi al forno! |
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| Gnocchi a la Elise! |
This is the first “Guest Post” on my blog- and I am SO seriously excited! Say what you will about Facebook, it does create wonderful friendships between people who probably never would otherwise have met each other! Crazy as it may sound, I have Facebook Friends who I’ve never actually met (yet), who are SO close I feel like we’re family and we’ve known each other for years! Elise Avella Feiner, who runs THE best “foodie” page on Facebook: Foodfanataholics – is one of them, and when I asked her to write a “guest foodie post”, she gave me permission to post her wonderful recipe and tutorial for Ricotta Gnocchi on my blog- and this is THE best gnocchi tutorial you’re ever gonna get! So if you are longing for “real deal” gnocchi, here is how to make them- and it’s actually “doable”! And it’s fun to form the little gnocchi- you’ll feel like a “Real Italian”!
Ricotta Gnocchi –
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
: 250 grams Ricotta Cheese (yes, you really should have a scale…)
3/4 cup “00” pasta flour, divided, plus a little more if necessary. (You can use AP flour, too). 1/4 cup grated cheese (Elise uses Pecorino Romano)1 eggKosher Salt and fresh-ground black pepper A ridged Gnocchi Board – see photo below- but you can also use a fork.(Note from Elisse: This is an inexpensive Gnocchi Paddle I found online: https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/gnocchi-board/1018911507 They are also on amazon and eBay…) Cookie Sheet Parchment paper Freezer bags, if you are going to freeze the gnocchi
Directions:
Assemble your ingredients:
Put the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the flour, the grated cheese, egg, a pinch of salt, and the fresh-ground black pepper into a large bowl, and stir gently with a wooden spoon to combine.
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| Ricotta and flour in the bowl… |
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| Add the grated cheese… |
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| Add the pinch of salt and ground pepper… |
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| Add the egg… |
If the dough is too sticky, add another 1/4 cup of flour to the mix. Begin kneading the dough with your hands. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour if needed. The amount of flour will vary depending on the air temperature, type of flour used, and moisture of the ricotta. Continue to add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough that is soft, but not too sticky.
Shape into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15- 30 minutes. (If you are in a hurry, as Elise was, just shape them- they’ll be fine!)
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| This is a Gnocchi Paddle! |
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| The log and the floured Gnocchi Paddle |
Flour your work space. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the cookie sheet, and flour that generously, as well. Cut the log into about 6-8 pieces. Working one piece at a time, roll into a long rope about 1 inch wide.
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| Cut off a piece, and roll into a long rope about 1″ wide |
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| The rope of dough, cut into 1/2″ segments |
Using a knife or a pastry cutter cut the rope into ½-inch segments.
Using the floured Gnocchi Board (or you can roll them off a fork to make the gnocchi shape), form your gnocchi.
Roll them on the floured Gnocchi Board (or around a fork) to obtain the ridges, and leave them open in the middle to catch the sauce!
Place the gnocchi on the floured parchment paper on the cookie sheet.
Repeat with the remaining cuts of dough. The gnocchi may be refrigerated or frozen at this point. (If you are freezing the gnocchi, freeze them on the cookie sheet, and later transfer them to a zip-lock bag or container, so they don’t stick together).
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| Cookie sheet, dusted heavily with flour |
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| Making your gnocchi on the floured gnocchi paddle... |
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| Roll them to obtain ridges, but be open in the middle to catch the sauce! |
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| Gnocchi, on the floured cookie sheet |
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the gnocchi and cook, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes, one minute more after they all float to the surface. 
Drain (with a large slotted spoon or mesh strainer by choice- you want to remove as much water as possible). Immediately toss them with either a marinara cause, brown butter sauce with sage, or a pesto sauce- or anything you like!
Elise likes to put a little tomato sauce into individual (oven-safe) casserole dishes, top with more sauce, grated cheese and mozzarella, and then a little more sauce, and bake them for a few minutes until the cheese melts. (400° F for about 15-20 minutes):
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| Tomato sauce in the dishes… |
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| Then Gnocchi… |
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| Top with more sauce… |
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| Grated Cheese (Pecorino Romano)… |
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| Top with good Mozzarella… |
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| And a little more sauce… |
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| Bake in a 400 degree pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes |
Check at 20 minutes; it should just melt the cheese- and, voilla! – perfect gnocchi!
Serve the gnocchi with a salad and some fresh bread and a dip or shmear of olive oil with roasted garlic and grating cheese mixed into it… So good!
Buon Appetito from Elise and Elisse!
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| THIS is the size of perfect gnocchi! |
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| Dinner! |
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