Goat Cheese Ricotta Gnocchi With Garden Zucchini Tomato Sauce And Crisp Prosciutto Food

ZUCCHINI AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Place the flour, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and the butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse 12 to 14 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the processor running, pour the vinegar and ice water through the feed tube and continue to process and pulse until the dough just comes together. Dump out on a floured board, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the zucchini in a colander set over a plate. Toss it with 2 teaspoons of salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Spread the zucchini out on a clean dish towel, roll it up, and squeeze gently to remove some of the liquid. Put the zucchini slices into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. With a fork, mash together the goat cheese, thyme, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the dough out on a floured board to an 11-inch circle and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the dough with the goat cheese mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Lay the zucchini slices in tightly overlapping circles, starting at the very edge of the pastry (the zucchini will shrink when it bakes). Continue overlapping circles of zucchini until the whole tart is covered. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Cut in wedges and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

GOAT CHEESE GNOCCHI WITH BACON, DATES AND KENTUCKY WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the goat cheese, ricotta and eggs in a large bowl and mix until smooth and homogenous. Add 1/2 cup of flour and stir until combined. Being careful not to overwork the dough, add more flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough is smooth and supple (not sticky). If you add too much flour or stir too much you will have very dense little gnocchi and this is not what you want. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile put on a large pot of water to boil.
• On a lightly dusted surface, press and shape the dough into an 8-by-14-by-1/2-inch rectangle. With a floured sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces. Using a fork on a dusted surface, shape the gnocchi by pressing a piece of the dough into the back of the fork slightly to create ridges, then roll it down the fork toward the work surface to form it into a dumpling. If the dough begins to stick, flour the fork and your fingers. Place the finished gnocchi on a floured cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• When the water comes to a boil, prepare an ice bath. Season the boiling water with salt. Cooking in batches, place the gnocchi in the water with a slotted spoon and give them a quick stir to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until all the gnocchi rise to the surface, then cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes to cook through--the timing will depend on how long they take to rise, about 4 minutes total. Immediately remove the gnocchi with the slotted spoon and put in the ice bath to stop the cooking. When they are cool, drain. They are now ready to be sauteed. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.
• Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp (the fat will start to foam when this happens). Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add the gnocchi to the pan and sear in the warm bacon fat, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the gnocchi to a plate. Add the dates to the pan. Whisk in the wine and vegetable stock and simmer until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter. Add the gnocchi, bacon and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the parsley and toss to combine. Serve on a platter and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. To prepare the gnocchi, gently mix the cheese, egg yolks, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl until blended.
• 2. Using your hands, fold the flour gradually into the cheese mixture. You may need more or less flour, depending on how well the cheese was drained. Work the dough until it forms a loose ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each one into a long rope about 3/4 inch in diameter. Lightly dust each rope with flour to prevent sticking when you cut them into gnocchi.
• 3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust it with flour. Cut the ropes into 3/4-inch-long pieces and transfer each piece to the baking sheet.
• 4. You may choose to leave the gnocchi in these pieces or go one step further by rolling each piece into a ball. Use your thumb, the back of a fork, or a small gnocchi paddle to make grooves on 1 side of the balls and a small indentation on the other.
• 5.Transfer the gnocchi to the baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for up to 24 hours. (Do not cover with a damp cloth or the gnocchi will soften.) After the gnocchi dry for 24 hours in the refrigerator, they can be transferred to a rigid plastic container and frozen for up to 1 week. Let them thaw before cooking.
• 6. Fill a large saucepan with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Gently drop the gnocchi into the water and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the gnocchi bob to the surface. When they do, cook for 1 minute longer and then drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
• 7. To prepare the tomato sauce, heat the tomatoes over medium-high heat. Thin or loosen with a little pasta water. Stir in 1/2 cup of olive oil and the butter until the butter is incorporated. Toss the gnocchi with the tomato sauce. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 8. Divide the gnocchi among 4 serving plates and drizzle with olive oil.
• Note:

RICOTTA GNOCCHI IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until flavors are blended, stirring occasionally., Meanwhile, for gnocchi, in a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough that holds its shape., In a Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Divide dough into eight portions. Roll each into a 1/2-in.-thick rope; cut crosswise into 3/4-in. pieces., Cook gnocchi in batches in boiling water 2-3 minutes or until they float; remove with a slotted spoon. Drain well. Add gnocchi to sauce; gently stir in mozzarella cheese. If desired, sprinkle with basil.

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.