RICOTTA CHEESE GNOCCHI

Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi image

You think you know what gnocchi are: small, fork-tine-indented potato dumplings served with pesto or tomato sauce. They're starchy, thick and filling, and rarely made well enough at home to justify the work. But gnocchi don't have to be only that. "Gnocco" translates literally as "lump" (nice, huh?) and is a colloquial word for dumpling; gnocchi can be made out of semolina, cornmeal, spinach, even bread crumbs. One of my favorites: ricotta gnocchi, which is just as authentic as its potato relative, but lighter in texture and much easier to make.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

Salt
One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 or more sage leaves

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Combine the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan in a large bowl, along with some salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup flour and stir; add more flour until the mixture forms a very sticky dough. Scoop up a spoonful of dough and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape; if it does not, stir in a bit more flour.
Put the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it melts and turns a nutty brown color, add the sage. While it fries, drop the ricotta mixture by the rounded tablespoon into the boiling water, working in batches of six or so at a time so as not to overload the pot.
When the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet. When all the gnocchi are done, toss, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 419, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 29 grams, Fat 24 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 22 grams, SaturatedFat 14 grams, Sodium 564 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams, TransFat 0 grams