Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi

To start with I was a little nervous about the whole attempting to make gnocchi thing because traditional potato versions can be fairly filling plus Mr B hadn't tried gnocchi before and I may have talked it up a little bit but everything I read about ricotta gnocchi promised 'light fluffy ricotta clouds' and well seeing as I had the ricotta there ready to go, what did I have to lose?

This recipe was so easy to make, it literally took all of 30 mins start to finish and it tasted amazing. The gnocchi had a beautiful light texture and a delicate ricotta flavour that left Mr B and I completely gob-smacked - there was (and still is) a fair bit of 'can you believe we actually made that' going on.

There is a great deal of satisfaction in making a dish like this from scratch and I absolutely love all of the fresh home made flavours in it - it's one of those things you just have to try yourself at least once - you won't look back I promise!

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi - Serves 2

2 cups full fat ricotta
2 egg yolks
50g fresh grated Parmesan
1 cup plain flour + extra for dusting
Parmesan, for garnish
3/4 - 1 cup pasta sauce (such as the Fresh Tomato, Basil, Garlic and Chilli Sauce mentioned below)

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

In a bowl combine the ricotta, egg yolks, parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Add the flour and mix together until a soft ball of dough forms, being careful not to overwork.

Cut the dough into four pieces and roll each into a long sausage roughly as round as your thumb. Cut the log into 2cm dumplings and place on a lightly floured baking tray.

Once your water is boiling, gently drop your gnocchi dumplings in - you can use a slotted spoon for this. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom. Once they have all risen to the surface then they are cooked. Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and top with your desired sauce. I would suggest something like the Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce mentioned below topped with some shaved parmesan. I don't think these gnocchi need a lot of sauce so I would recommend no more than 1/3 - 1/2 cup per serve.

Fresh Tomato, Basil, Garlic and Chilli Sauce - Serves 2

4 ripe roma tomatoes
30ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tspn brown sugar
1 heaped tspn crushed garlic
1/2 tspn red wine vinegar
1/2 handful of roughly torn fresh basil leaves
1/3 tspn crushed chilli
Salt and pepper

In a non-stick pan over medium high heat, add the oil, garlic and the tomatoes and cook for 5-7 mins or until softened. Mix in the sugar, chilli and the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to simmer for 7-10 mins. Just prior to serving, stir through the basil leaves.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx