Best Spinach Gnocchi With Ricotta Parmesan Recipes

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Squeeze the spinach completely dry, in small handfuls, over a bowl. Transfer the spinach to a food processor. Add the ricotta, 2/3 cup Parmesan, they egg yolk and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until the spinach is very finely chopped and the mixture is thoroughly combined.
• Lightly dust your hands with flour so the mixture doesn't stick to your hands.
• Scoop 1 teaspoon of the spinach mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a plate and cover with wax paper or parchment. Repeat with the remaining mixture. You should have about 40 gnocchi.
• Working in batches, boil the gnocchi until they rise to the surface, about 3 minutes. Drain the gnocchi with a slotted spoon or mesh spider and transfer to a plate or bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan, let cool slightly and serve.

MALFATTI (ITALIAN SPINACH RICOTTA DUMPLINGS IN NAPOLI SAUCE)

Steps:

• Saute garlic and onion: Heat oil in a small pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 3 minutes until onion is softened.
• Simmer sauce: Add remaining ingredients plus the stem of basil. Bring to a simmer, then reduce stove to low and cook, stirring every now and then, for 20 minutes. It should be fairly thick rather than a loose runny sauce.
• Drain ricotta, if needed: The ricotta should be the dry and fairly crumbly type rather than wet, soft and almost spreadable. If it's wet, see Note 1 for removing excess water (wet ricotta makes Malfatti hard to shape and cook!)
• Sweat spinach: Toss spinach with 1/2 tsp salt in large colander. Leave for 20 minutes. Roll up in tea towel and squeeze tightly to remove excess liquid. Roughly chop.
• Sauté garlic, eschalot and spinach: Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and eschalot, cook for 1 minute until translucent. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Transfer to large bowl, allow to cool.
• Malfatti mixture: Add ricotta and all remaining Malfatti ingredients into the bowl. Mix well to combine. It should be too wet to roll with hands without sticking, but still firm enough to shape into dumplings.
• Form dumplings: Using 2 dessert spoons, scoop up about 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture then shape into a football (quenelle) using the two spoons. Place on a paper-lined tray. You should get about 24-30.
• Boil dumplings: Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then carefully put 6 dumplings in. Cook for 2 minutes, they should float to the surface. Remove with slotted spoon on to paper towel lined tray. Repeat for remaining Malfatti.
• Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
• Assemble: Pour Napoli Sauce into a baking dish, then top with Malfatti. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
• Bake 15 minutes or until the Malfatti has a faint blush of gold on the surface (Note 3).
• Serve! Sprinkle baked Malfatti with parmesan and basil leaves (tear large leaves). Spoon into bowls and served as-is. No starchy side is required, think of these as like gnocchi. Just add a leafy green salad with Italian Dressing or Balsamic Dressing!

SPINACH GNOCCHI WITH RICOTTA & PARMESAN

Steps:

• 1. Cook frozen spinach in microwave and cool completely. When cool, squeeze out any liquid until dry.
• 2. Add all ingredients into food processor EXCEPT flour and process for 30-60 seconds until spinach is broken into tiny pieces, but specks of dark green remain. (You don't want it a uniform color.)
• 3. Place spinach mixture into a large bowl and add 2 cups of flour. Mix well. Using your hands, add flour 1/4 cup at a time until a stiff dough is achieved that you can roll into ropes. It will be a work out for your arms! =) (I roll a test piece in my hands to see if it's ready.) The amount of flour depends on how dry you get your spinach. I usually use 2 1/2- 2 3/4 cups total. You'll be flouring your board also. Too dry and it won't form a nice rope. Too wet and it's too sticky.
• 4. Place dough ball on a dinner plate. Lightly flour your counter top or board. Cut dough ball every 3/4" or so and then form these chunks of dough into ropes about the same size around as your thumb. Cut ropes into 1" chunks. (If you see a string from the spinach, just pat it down.) Place on large parchment lined cookie sheet with a sprinkling of flour. Continue until all dough is cut into 1" pieces. If you have time and patience, you can roll each gnocchi off of the tines of a fork forming ridges, but I never do.
• 5. Drop into salted slow boiling water and give a stir so they don't stick to the bottom. Boil gently until they rise to the top. (3-5 minutes) Drain. Serve with freshly shaved Parmesan or Asiago cheese and your favorite pasta sauce, Alfredo sauce, browned butter/sage sauce, whatever you like.

SIMPLE SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Place the lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix to combine and set aside. Place the spinach in a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and set aside for 1 minute. Drain, place in a clean tea towel, squeeze to remove the excess liquid and finely chop. Add the spinach to the gnocchi dough and mix to combine. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a 3cm-wide (1-inch-wide) log. Slice into 2cm-thick (3/4-inch-thick) pieces and set aside on a lightly floured tray. Cook the gnocchi, in 2 batches, in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes or until risen to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a serving plate. Top with the lemon oil, rocket and Parmesan to serve.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Cook spinach in large pot of boiling salted water just until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain. Squeeze out liquid. Chop spinach.
• Mix spinach, ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup flour, egg yolks, salt, pepper and nutmeg in bowl until slightly sticky dough forms.
• Dust baking sheet with flour. Working in batches and using floured hands, roll 1/4 cup dough on floured work surface to form 5-inch-long rope. Cut rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece between palms to form oval. Transfer gnocchi to prepared baking sheet. Repeat rolling, cutting and shaping with remaining dough. Working in batches, add gnocchi to pot of boiling salted water; cook until gnocchi rise to surface. Cook 4 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, remove gnocchi from water; drain. Place in serving dish.
• Pour butter over gnocchi; toss. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Reheat in 400°F oven about 10 minutes.) Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot salted water to a boil.
• Cut the stems off the spinach, and soak the leaves in the sink. Wash them thoroughly.
• Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove spinach from the water and plunge in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
• Drain the spinach very well, and using a clean tea towel, squeeze out the extra water. Chop the leaves very fine.
• Put the cooked spinach in a large bowl, add the ricotta, 3 tablespoons Parmesan, egg yolks, and season with a couple pinches salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix well, and make sure that the ricotta crumbles into fine pieces, and mixes properly with the spinach. Shape the mixture into balls about the size of walnuts.
• Lightly butter a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish, lay all the gnocchi in it, and dress it with a few very thin slices butter and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Cook the gnocchi at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, and then use the broiler for the last 5 minutes to crisp and brown the top of the spinach balls.
• In a medium skillet, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, and saute the sage until it starts to brown. Serve the gnocchi on a warm plate and dress with the sage-butter sauce, and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• For the gnocchi: In a large stock pot over high heat, boil the potatoes, salt, smashed garlic, and roughly chopped onions until the potatoes are fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and return to the pot to allow the water to cook off, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the spinach is wilted, 5 minutes, stirring often. Place the mixture in a strainer set over a bowl to catch the liquids as it drains off, applying pressure gently a few times to accelerate liquid removal. Reserve 1/2 cup liquid.
• When the potatoes are dry and slightly cooled, roughly cut them and pass through a food mill or ricer. Set aside. (Guy's tip: after ricing the potatoes, spread them out on a baking sheet and allow them to dry out even more to remove moisture).
• In a food processor bowl fitted with the bottom blade, add the strained spinach, pulse to puree, and then add the egg and egg yolk, flour, nutmeg, and Parmesan. Pulse until well mixed. Place into a large bowl and gently fold in the riced potatoes, gently stirring until just combined. You will have very soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and roll into a 1 1/2-inch thick snake. Dust the dough lightly with flour and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece gently with your thumb, leaving a small indentation on 1 side of the gnocchi. Place the finished gnocchi on a lightly floured, parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (Guy's tip: if you have time, let the gnocchi rest in the refrigerator or freezer until chilled prior to cooking. It will help the gnocchi hold its shape better).
• Fill a large stock pot 3/4 full with water, place over high heat, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and bring to a rapid boil.
• Meanwhile, for the sauce: Wipe clean the same pan that the spinach was cooked in and place over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter and melt. Add the garlic and chile flakes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, reduce for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock, reserved spinach liquid, half-and-half, and cheese and reduce an additional 3 minutes. Add the pepper, tomatoes, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• When the sauce is ready, add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook for 3 1/2 minutes. Remove, drain, and let rest for 5 minutes. Add to the sauce and garnish with Parmesan and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Freeze any leftover gnocchi for a later meal.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Wash the spinach, then place in a pan with just the water that clings to its leaves. Cover. Cook over low heat for 6-8 minutes or until wilted. Drain well and set aside.
• Squeeze out as much liquid as possible then finely chop the spinach. A processor works well for this. Place the spinach in a bowl along with the ricotta cheese, half the Parmesan cheese, the eggs, nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Beat until thoroughly combined. Sift in the flour and lightly work it into the mixture, adding enough to make a workable mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
• With floured hands, break off small pieces of the mixture and roll into walnut-size balls. Handle as little as possible, they are delicate. Lightly dust the gnocchi with flour.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boiling point. Add the gnocchi and cook 2-3 minutes until they rise to the surface. Remove from pan and drain well.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter for the herb mixture in a large, heavy-bottom skillet over low heat. Add the oregano and sage and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the gnocchi and toss gently to coat. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

RICOTTA CHEESE GNOCCHI

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.

SPINACH GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Blanch the spinach for no more than 20 seconds in salted boiling water. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop fine.
• Heat the butter or olive oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan and add the spinach, salt (remembering that you will be adding Parmesan, which is salty), pepper, ricotta and flour. Stir together and let the mixture sizzle while you stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs, nutmeg and Parmesan. The mixture should be stiff. Transfer to a bowl, cover well and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment and dust generously with flour. Remove the gnocchi mixture from the refrigerator. There are a few ways to form the gnocchi. You can scoop out small balls by the rounded teaspoon and place on the parchment (they will be sticky so use another spoon to scrape them out of the measuring spoon), or you can divide the dough into 4 pieces and on a floured surface, with lightly floured hands, gently roll each piece into a coil about 3/4 inch wide. Cut into 1-inch pieces and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Alternatively, place the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8 inch round tip and pipe 1-inch blobs onto the parchment. Don't worry if the dough is sticky.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Meanwhile heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan. Adjust the heat under the water so that it is boiling gently and drop in the gnocchi, about 10 at a time. If they stick to the parchment or your hands lightly flour your fingers and sprinkle a little flour over the gnocchi. Once they float to the top simmer for 4 minutes, then move them to the pan of sauce with a slotted spoon. Serve with the sauce and additional Parmesan to taste.