These light little Ricotta Gnocchi are also known as ‘gnudi’. They originated from the stuffing used to fill ravioli. Somewhere down the line, they lost their pasta overcoats and became the delicious little mouthfuls we know and love today.Once you get the hang of rolling them, they are ridiculously easy to make, so don’t be scared. If you can find your inner child and remember how much fun it was to rollout Play-Doh, you’ll be fine.
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt. Cover and lower heat to a simmer until needed.
2. In a large bowl beat the eggs along with the Parmesan and the nutmeg. Gradually beat in the ricotta until it is smooth. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Sift in the whole wheat pastry flour and a â…“ cup of the almond flour and fold into the mixture until well blended. Add a little more almond flour if needed. You are looking for a soft, rather sticky dough.
3. Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Spoon about â…“ the gnocchi mixture onto the floured surface. It will be quite sticky. Gently roll it into a thick sausage shape about 6- to 8-inches long, adding more flour if the dough becomes too sticky. The roll should be lightly coated with flour. With a sharp, wet knife, cut off chunks about ½- to ¾-inches long, and arrange in a single layer on a lightly floured plate, or floured wax paper. Make sure they don’t touch. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
4. Meanwhile, over a medium low flame, heat through 1 recipe of Quick Tomato Sauce in a sauté pan.
5. Bring the water up to a slow boil. Depending on the size of your pan, add 6-8 gnocchi, one at a time. Do not overcrowd them or they may stick together. When they are done, they will rise and float to the surface. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place on a warm dish. Repeat until all are cooked.
6. Add the gnocchi to the tomato sauce and gently mix. They should be coated in sauce, but not swimming in it. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
Ann's Tips and Tricks
If you make these in the summertime, just add a small handful of torn fresh basil leaves to the tomato sauce. This will turn our Quick Tomato Sauce into delicious ‘Pomodoro Basilico’ for your gnocchi.
These gnocchi are also great instead of meatballs in brothy soups like Italian Wedding Soup
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