Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi (Pronounced Neo-ki)
About Gnocchi
The original gnocchis were made with potatoes, flour and eggs. That recipe is still being made today. But in this world of trying new things and making them lighter, I got this recipe from my sister, Christine. The same sister that gave me the recipe for the ground beef soup featured in my hubs. She was born when I was 12 years old. I never thought I was going to have a younger sibling, but, there she was, and even though I wouldn't have said this 50 something years ago, I am so glad she is. She's a full time working gal and with 3 children, I'm amazed she can find time to cook at all, but she does and this is a recipe from her and I'm featuring it with her permission.
Getting back to the gnocchis, these are made with ricotta cheese instead of potatoes. Some day I may even feature those too. The ricotta cheese gnocchis are a lighter then the potato ones and you can top them with your favorite sauce. The Italians top them with spaghetti and meatball sauce, of course, but I have seen them in a butter sauce and even a pesto sauce. The choice is yours. Hope you like them; they aren't hard to make and don't take too much time. Mangiare Buono!
Freezing Gnocchi
I always make the gnocchi ahead of time and freeze them.
To freeze them, after you cut them into little dumplings, place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper so they won't stick .
Place them in the freezer and after they are frozen you can put them in a freezer bag and ready for the freezer.
If you don't freeze them in the sheet first, they will all stick together in a big ball.
Photos of Gnocchi read to freeze
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Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 4 eggs, scrambled
- 2 lb.s whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon pepper
Directions
- Make a well with the flour on your surface. Combine the scrambled eggs and the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.
- Pour the liquid in the middle of the flour and start gathering the flour a little at a time going around the liquid. Be careful because the liquid might least through the flour, so be ready to catch it.
- Making sure your surface is floured, cut the dough in 4ths and set them aside working with one ball of dough at a time.
- Using both hands roll out the dough into a long rope about half an inch wide and cut into little pieces, like in the picture.
- Freeze according to the instructions.
- When you are ready to cook them, just like pasta, bring the pot of salted water to a boil and put the gnocchis in the pot half at a time. Don't stir them yet, they will fall to the bottom. When they are done they will rise to the top of the water, which only take a few minutes.
- Scoop them out of the water with a strainer and place them in the bowl you are serving them in and put a little sauce on the cooked ones and repeat until all the gnocchis are cooked and in the pot. Serve them hot.
