Last summer, I had a love affair with ricotta gnocchi after being introduced to it for the first time at an Italian food and wine event.
Obviously, I had heard of gnocchi, but had always thought of them as the soft, pillowy pieces of pasta dough made from a potato and flour dough. Ricotta gnocchi is made from almost all ricotta cheese, and just a touch of flour to keep the gnocchi together. They are so good by themselves that they need nothing more than a drizzle of melted butter and a sprinkle of fresh chopped herbs to eat.
When I made them, I basically had three or four recipes in front of me, then winged it, combining them all, adding, subtracting, and changing ingredients as I went along, based on a feeling. Keep that in mind when you make them at home. Adjust everything to the temperature that day, the humidity, your personal preferences, etc.
Drain overnight in the refrigerator 1 16 oz. container whole-milk ricotta cheese in a sieve that has been lined with paper towels (most people use cheesecloth, but I didn't have any at the time).
In a large bowl, mix well the drained ricotta with 1 large egg, 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 c. finely chopped parsley or other herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in 3/4 c. all-purpose flour.
Cover the bowl and chill ricotta dough in refrigerator over night.
Shape chilled ricotta dough into 1" balls or ovals (I made football shapes). Dredge each ball in flour, place on a floured sheet or tray lined with wax paper. After all the gnocchi have been shaped, cover the trays and chill again for several hours.
When you are ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a few gnocchi at a time, let cook about 5-7 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. Do this for all the gnocchi.
To serve, drizzle with melted butter, freshly chopped herbs, and grated Parmesan cheese. (You can also serve with a light marinara sauce, which I did the next day.)
As a note, if the gnocchi dough when you first mix it doesn't seem like it will hold together well later, add a little bit more flour.
What Can I Get You Folks? - Eating Out for Thanksgiving
In Defense of Guy Fieri
'Top Chef Vegas' - And Then There Were Five
