Ricotta Gnocci

Ingredients

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 large egg

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of ground black pepper

If the cheese is really wet, place ricotta in strainer set over medium bowl. Chill until ricotta has a texture of wet clay, about 1 hour.

Mix ricotta, 1/2 cup flour, egg, and next 5 ingredients in food processor, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough is slightly sticky (do not add more than 4 tablespoonfuls).

Sprinkle rimmed baking sheet generously with flour. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Cut into 2 equal pieces. Using hands, roll each piece on floured surface into 3/4-inch-wide log. Cut log crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Place gnocchi on prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover gnocchi with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

**Make your sauce ahead: I prefer a rich tomato sauce like Grace's Sauce with Italian Sausage. But you could also open a jar of good tomato sauce like a Trader Joe's Arribiata or for a pesto, we like Gia Russa's Pesto Alla Genovese. Heat the sauce in a skillet.

Working in 2 batches, add gnocchi to large pot of boiling salted water, stirring to prevent sticking. Boil until gnocchi rise to surface of water, then continue boiling until cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to skillet with red sauce. If using pesto simply add the pesto to a warm bowl then stir in the hot gnocci and toss with parm.

Remove from heat. Add parm cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Urban Cowgill April 2020