Gnocchi are little pillows of joy that always manage to win over even the fussiest eaters.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups fresh ricotta (drained if very wet — about 15–16 oz)
- 2 ½ cups “00” flour (or all-purpose flour if 00 isn’t available)
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano (about ¼ cup)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- A small handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped (about 2–3 tablespoons)
- 3–4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for finishing)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (for boiling water)
DIRECTIONS
- Place the ricotta in a large bowl and use a fork to break it up until it crumbles.
- Crack the egg on top of the ricotta, then add 4 tbsp of grated pecorino and mix well to combine.
- Add half of the flour to the bowl gradually and mix until it starts to come together.
- Lightly flour your countertop, then place the dough on top and start kneading gently using your hands with a forward-and-back motion. Add the rest of the flour and keep kneading until it incorporates well. Use a pastry scraper to collect any leftover dough bits.
- If the dough feels sticky, sprinkle a little more flour on top, but not too much. Keep working it until it’s silky and moist, but not so sticky that it leaves moisture on your hands.
- Now its time to stretch the dough. Place your dough ball on top of a lightly floured surface, then gently stretch it with a rolling pin, rotate and stretch again. Keep rotating and stretching until it’s about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into strips about 1 inch wide. Arrange the strips on the counter with space between them so they don’t stick, and sprinkle with flour.
- Sprinkle another dusting of flour on the counter, then take one strip, press gently on the sides, and roll from the middle outwards until you form a long snake coil.
- Use a pastry scraper to cut the coil into small pillow shapes. Place the cut gnocchi on a tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle lightly with flour so they don’t stick.
- Repeat steps 8-9 until you have used up all your dough, and place trays= into the freezer.
How to Make the Sauce
- Place the butter in a medium frying pan over medium-low heat and zest the lemon directly over the pan so the zest falls into the butter.
- Break the mint leaves using your hands and add them straight into the pan.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze in the juice, making sure no seeds fall in, then allow the sauce simmer gently for a minute or two before you remove from heat and set aside.
How to Cook the Gnocchi
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 1 tbsp of sea salt. Then gently drop the gnocchi into the salted water – don’t stir them. Once they float to the surface, they’re ready.
- Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or hand strainer and transfer them straight into the pan with the sauce on low heat.
- Use a wooden spoon to gently mix until every pillow of gnocchi is coated in the sauce. Turn off the stove.
