Making restaurant- quality light as a feather ricotta gnocchi is easy and done in less than 30 minutes. The soft pillowy dumplings or gnudi as they are called in Italy make a great base for any sauce, especially Butter Sage Sauce. You don't need to wait for special occasions to serve these tasty morsels, they are easy enough to make and serve on any weeknight. Believe me, you and your family's tastebuds will thank you.
For this recipe you will need: ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, nutmeg, all-purpose flour, salt, pepper.
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Ricotta Gnocchi Background
When I was young, I didn't think ricotta gnocchi, or any gnocchi for that matter, were anything special. To me, gnocchi were just soft, thick dumplings that we often ate.
Mamma made them out of potatoes or semolina for gnocchi in brodo. If she made them for dinner she would put sugo di carne (meat sauce) over them. It was simply a typical weeknight dinner. I certainly didn't appreciate the flavorful dumplings.
But as I became older and much, much wiser, I grew to appreciate their delicate, light taste and their many variations and forms.
Gnocchi served as primo piatto
Italians eat gnocchi as a first course (primo piatto), as an alternative to soups (minestre) or pasta. For our family, this was the main meal. Like most people, we didn't have the luxury of having courses. Our meals were simple. Mamma always made some sauce to go along with the gnocchi -- often it was a tomato based sauce with finely diced meat, a pesto sauce, or melted butter with sage.
My mouth is watering just thinking about the aroma and taste. Why is it that once you don't have something -- it's exactly what you crave?
Gnocchi has many variations
You see, Ricotta gnocchi or Gnocchi di ricotta are just one of the many variations found across the different regions in Italy.
Italian dumplings can be made from:
- potatoes
- semolina
- ordinary wheat flour
- breadcrumbs
- flour
- egg
- cheese
Pretty much whatever is on hand and that will bind together can make gnocchi. Adding a green such as spinach or kale to the gnocchi is also very popular.
Most popular gnocchi are the potato and ricotta variety.
Easy Gnocchi Preparation
The basic method for making potato gnocchi is simple
- boil the potatoes
- put them through a ricer to get a fine texture
- add flour, egg, seasoning
There you have it. The rest of the flavors and shapes are up to you.
Basic method for making gnudi
- eliminate the potato step
- add drained ricotta cheese
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
- a touch of nutmeg
A very simple process yielding a delicious dish.
We like to use a brown butter sauce to dress the gnudi (which mean nude in Italian). The fluffy dumplings turn a beautiful golden tan and they absorb that wonderful butter lemon flavor.
The entire process is elementary. Mix the ingredients together. Roll out. Cut. Cook.
How to cook the gnocchi
- Bring a large pot of water to boiling and salt.
- Drop the gnocchi into the water, don't overcrowd.
- Stir water gently so they don't stick.
- Cook for about 2 ½ minutes, or until they float to the surface.
- Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet with the butter sage sauce.
Sweet Gnocchi
Sometimes when mamma made gnocchi dough, she would use the dough to make a dessert. There were two I remembered.
- She took it and rolled the dough into a long rope, cut the rope in about 4-inch pieces and then made each piece into a "U." Then she fried the pieces until they were a golden brown. Once they were out of the oil, she sprinkled cinnamon sugar over them. We called them storti (crooked) although they are also known as chifeletti de patate. {In our house we spoke in dialect and instead of the proper Italian "di patate" we'd use "de patate).
- And sometimes as a special treat, mamma would take pieces of gnocchi dough and fill them with jam or marmellata (marmalade), much like a sweet pierogi.These we called gnocchi de marmellata. Mamma would fry them in butter and then coat them in buttered breadcrumbs. Oh, they were so good!!The gnocchi de marmellata are well known as gnocchi de susine (di susini in proper Italian). Susini are plums most commonly the angelina plums, and we know them as the prune-plums (prugne). They have dark purple skins and yellow flesh.Sometimes Italians use fresh apricots (albicocca) when they're in season rather than the susini and even marmellata.
Recalling dishes from my childhood triggers such wonderful memories.
More Information on Ricotta Dumplings
You don't need any special talent or equipment to make gnudi. In fact they're easier to make than the potato gnocchi.
FAQs
What can you do with ricotta cheese?
The uses for this high protein cheese are endless. You can make light and fluffy pancakes, bake a cheesecake, put it on pizza, stuff pasta with it, use instead of yogurt, churn some gelato, make a dip, combine with grilled fruit, use it on toast, put it in scrambled eggs, gnocchi, etc.
Can you make gnocchi ahead of time?
You can make them ahead of time if you're not serving right away. Place well-floured gnocchi on a tray in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Can homemade gnocchi be frozen?
Yes you can freeze them for later use. Put the gnocchi in the freezer while they're still on baking sheets. Freeze them until they are hard to the touch, at least one hour. Transfer them to freezer bags. Freeze for up to two months. To cook frozen gnocchi: Cook in small batches while the gnocchi are still frozen. Remove them when they float.
Best sauce goes with gnocchi?
The classic sauce for gnudi is the brown butter sauce. The dumplings are so light that the sauce lets the flavor shine through.
A tomato sauce is also a nice touch. If you want it as a complete meal, a Bolognese Sauce is marvelous sauce to put over the dumplings.
Tips
- Drain the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve lined with paper towels for a few hours or preferably overnight.
- Don't refrigerate fresh gnocchi for more than a few hours, they tend to ooze water and become soggy. Freeze instead.
- Cook the dumplings in small batches so the cold gnocchi don't lower the boiling water temperature too much. The gnocchi may absorb too water.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. It's is lighter and finer than the pre-grated parmesan so it melts into the gnocchi better.
- We like to store the frozen dumplings in layers in a freezer container.
- To cook, place while still frozen into boiling salted water, cooking for an extra 1 minute.
- Have the sauce ready before starting to cook the gnocchi.
- Use a light colored bottom pan - it's easier to see the color of the butter so you don't burn it.
- Eat immediately after cooking.
We wanted a light meal to compliment the ricotta gnocchi with butter sage sauce, so we served them with our marinated shrimp and grilled peppers.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like...
Lamb Ravioli With Brown Butter Sauce - Little pasta pillows filled with a scrumptious lamb filling and then drizzled with a light lemony sauce.
Triple Mushroom Ravioli - Earthy mushrooms fill the pasta envelopes. We like using a light tomato sauce or a lemon sauce.
Gnocchi in Brodo - Delicious semolina parmesan gnocchi float in a light homemade chicken broth. If you like gnocchi you'll love this recipe.
These are recipes your family will love! Guarantee!
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A large pot like this is what we use to boil water for our gnocchi and pasta. You don't want anything too tall for the gnocchi and shorter pasta. This is perfect and we even make some soups in it.
How To Make Ricotta Gnocchi With Butter Sauce
Soft ricotta cheese dumplings that are better than what you get in a restaurant. They're so easy to make you can whip them up in less than 30 minutes. A simple sauce is all you need to dress them. Your family will love them and, believe me, they'll want them often.
And next time you want some gnocchi and chicken, try this amazing Chicken with Gnocchi with Spinach in a rich sauce. It's a one-skillet dinner.
You must try our family favorite potato gnocchi recipe-- Baked Gnocchi In Garlic Parmesan Sauce. Everyone always begs for seconds and even thirds of this delicious dish.
If you like this recipe please consider giving it a 5-star rating.
📖 Recipe
Ricotta Gnocchi
Ingredients
Ricotta Gnocchi
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese 1 pound
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 3 ounces, divided
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Butter Lemon Sage Sauce
- 4 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 8 Sage leaves
- ½ lemon juiced
- ¼ cup Parmigiana-Reggiano
- ½ cup reserved gnocchi boiling water
Instructions
Ricotta Gnocchi (Gnudi)
- Stir together ricotta, eggs, 1 cup cheese, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add flour, stirring to form a soft, wet dough.
- Shape dough on a well-floured surface with lightly floured hands into 2 (1-inch-thick) ropes. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces with a light floured knife. Put in 1 layer on a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Press fork tines gently on the gnocchi to mark one side.
- Cook gnocchi in 2 batches in a pasta pot of boiling salted water ( 3 Tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water), adding a few at a time to pot and stirring occasionally, until cooked through (cut one in half to check), 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Lift out with a slotted spoon or spider and drain the gnocchi in colander. Save ½ cup of the cooking water to add to the sauce -- you may not need the full ½ cup -- it is up to you.
- Toss gnocchi with brown butter in skillet and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of Parmigiana-Reggiani cheese and some of the cooking water.
- Serve Immediately.
Butter Sage Sauce With Lemon
- While the gnocchi cook, melt butter in a 12-inch sauté pan or heavy skillet and continue cooking until golden brown color (noisette) appears in the thinnest liquid of the butter. Do not rush this.
- Continue to stir and once you have the golden brown color remove the skillet from the heat and add the sage leaves.
- Add the lemon and set aside.
- Gently pour the drained gnocchi into the sauce pan and return to heat.
- Add the cheese and a little of the reserved boiling water and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Drain the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve lined with paper towels for a few hours or preferably overnight.
- Don't refrigerate fresh gnocchi for more than a few hours, they tend to ooze water and become soggy. Freeze instead.
- Cook the dumplings in small batches so the cold gnocchi don't lower the boiling water temperature too much. The gnocchi may absorb too water.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. It's is lighter and finer than the pre-grated parmesan so it melts into the gnocchi better.
- We like to store the frozen dumplings in layers in a freezer container.
- To cook, place while still frozen into boiling salted water, cooking for an extra 1 minute.
- Have the sauce ready before starting to cook the gnocchi.
- Use a light colored pan for making the brown butter - it's easier to see the color so you don't burn it.
- Eat immediately after cooking.
- You can easily make just half of the recipe -- that's why the picture in the blog only shows ½ the recipe ingredients.
- You need a gentle hand in forming these gnocchi -- they are very light and tender.
- Adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/ricotta-gnocchi-242001
Nutrition
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