SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO SAUCE image

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

Gnocchi
1 pound fresh ricotta cheese, wrapped in cheesecloth and hung overnight in refrigerator
5 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out
2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling
2 grates fresh nutmeg
salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the outside of the gnocchi
semolina, for holding the gnocchi
Sauce
8 to 10 super-ripe plum tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
salt
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
4 to 5 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
grated parmigiano-reggiano, for garnish
special equipment: disposable pastry bag

Steps:

Gnocchi: Put ricotta cheese into a large bowl. Chop the spinach and add it to the ricotta. Add the eggs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg. Mix well. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Add in 1/4 cup of flour. If the mixture is still very wet, add in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Dust a sheet tray generously with flour. Coat another sheet tray generously with semolina flour. Fill a pastry bag with the ricotta/spinach mixture. Pipe 1 1/2-inch balls of the cheese mixture onto the all-purpose flour lined tray. Shake the tray around to coat the balls in flour. Roll each flour coated cheese piece around in your hand to form a ball. Do this gently so as to not squish the cheese balls. Arrange them on the semolina lined tray. Sauce: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Set up a bowl of ice water. In the bottom of each tomato cut an "X" in the skin. Put the tomatoes in the boiling water for 15 to 20 seconds ONLY! Remove the tomatoes from the water and put them immediately into the ice water. When tomatoes have cooled, remove them from the ice water and take skin off. Remove the stems and seeds from the tomatoes; coarsely chop the tomatoes and reserve. Coat a pan with olive oil and heat. Add the onions, season with salt. Toss in the crushed red pepper and cook the onions. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in tomatoes and season with salt. Bring tomato mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Toss in the basil. To assemble: Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil, then reduce the heat until the water is at a simmer. Carefully add the gnocchi to the simmering water. Cook until the gnocchi float and have begun to swell, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon some sauce on each plate and spread it out until it becomes a small circle. Using mesh strainer, carefully remove the gnocchi from the water, blot on a towel and arrange gnocchi on the sauce circles. Top with cheese.