Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi Food

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH QUICK TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Unwrap the ricotta cheese from the cheesecloth; the texture should be pretty dry and crumbly. If it is really dry (this is good) pass it through the food mill with the biggest holes. Put the cheese into a large bowl.
• Finely chop the squeezed spinach and add it to the ricotta. Add the eggs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg. Mix until well combined. 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.
• Bring a saucepan full of water to a boil over medium heat. Set up a bowl of ice water. In the bottom of each tomato cut an "X" in the skin. Working in batches, put the tomatoes in the boiling water for 15 to 20 seconds ONLY! Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and put them immediately into the ice water. When the tomatoes have cooled, remove them from the ice water and the skin should come off very easily.
• Remove the stems and seeds from the tomatoes; coarsely chop the tomatoes and reserve.
• Coat a large straight-sided saute pan, over medium-high heat, with olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt, to taste. Toss in the crushed red pepper and cook the onions until they are soft and aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt, to taste. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
• Toss in the basil just before serving.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat, 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.
• On individual serving plates, spoon some sauce on each plate and spread it out until it becomes a 4 to 5-inch circle.
• Using a spider or long handled mesh strainer, carefully remove the gnocchi from the cooking water, blot on a tea towel and arrange 5 gnocchi on each circle of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.

SPINACH & RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Boil the kettle. Place the spinach in a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. Leave for 2 mins until wilted, then drain thoroughly. Leave to cool, then wrap a clean tea towel around the spinach. Hold it over the sink and squeeze out as much water as possible. Finely chop.
• Place the spinach, parsley, garlic, ricotta, flour, eggs, cheese and a generous grating of nutmeg into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to stir very thoroughly until everything is completely mixed. Using wet hands, form the mixture into walnut-size balls. Place on a large plate or tray and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
• When ready to cook, heat the oven to warm and bring a large pan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and drop in batches of about 8-10 gnocchi at a time. They will sink to the bottom, and when they rise to the top give them about 1 min more, then remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve the gnocchi on warm plates drizzled with olive oil and scattered with rocket and more cheese.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan Cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until evenly combined. Mix in 1 cup of flour. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough.
• Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces, and roll into 1/2-inch-thick ropes on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces, and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in shredded basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.
• To assemble the dish, stir the cubed mozzarella cheese into the sauce and allow the heat of the sauce to soften, but not melt the cheese. Place gnocchi into a serving bowl, and spoon sauce overtop.

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:

• 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.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA CHEESE GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Drain the ricotta cheese in a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl until it is very dry. Transfer the cheese to a large bowl and set it aside.
• Cook the spinach in batches in a covered large soup pot with no additional water until the spinach has wilted. Drain it in a colander, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the spinach as dry as possible with your hands to remove excess water. You should have about 2 cups of squeezed spinach.
• Chop the spinach coarsely, then purée it in a blender or food processor until it is very smooth. Transfer the spinach to the bowl with the cheese and stir in 1/3 cup of the grated cheese, eggs, mint, salt, nutmeg and pepper, and mix well. Begin adding the flour a little at a time until a soft dough is obtained and is not sticking to your hands.
• It is easier to form the gnocchi if the dough is refrigerated for several hours or overnight.
• Lightly flour a work surface. Using two soupspoons, shape heaping tablespoons of the dough into an oval or egg shape then gently slide the dough off the spoon onto the floured surface.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. With a spoon, scoop up about 8 to 10 gnocchi at a time and add them to the water. Boil them until they float.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan and stir in the sage leaves. Cover the pan and keep the sauce warm.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove and transfer the gnocchi to the sauce tossing them gently until well coated with the sauce.
• Divide between 8 individual plates and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese. Serve hot.

SPINACH RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• in a 9- to 10-inch heavy skillet cook garlic and onion in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Add tomatoes with reserved juice, wine, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Make gnocchi while sauce is cooking:
• In a small saucepan combine spinach with 1/2 cup water and simmer, covered, breaking up with a fork occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain spinach in a colander and rinse under cold water to cool. Squeeze spinach in a small handfuls until as dry as possible and chop fine.
• In a 5-quart saucepan bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil for cooking gnocchi. Set broiler rack about 4 inches form heat and preheat broiler.
• In a bowl stir together spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan, yolk, 2 tablespoons flour, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well (mixture will be very soft). With well-floured hands form rounded tablespoons of mixture into logs about 2 inches long and 1 inch in diameter (about 18) and transfer gnocchi as formed to a sheet of wax paper.
• Working in 2 batches, carefully transfer gnocchi with a spatula to boiling water and cook until they rise to surface, about 2 minutes. Transfer gnocchi as cooked with a slotted spoon to a buttered shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan. Broil gnocchi until very hot and cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Serve gnocchi with tomato sauce.

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.