Ingredients
- 400g pre-washed baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup ricotta, well-drained
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 to 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- FOR THE ROASTED TOMATOES
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE BURNT BUTTER and SAGE SAUCE:
- 115g unsalted butter
- 10-12 fresh sage leaves
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Author of this recipe
This is the Hotel California of gnocchi recipes. It’s an absolute classic. A #1 hit. It’s also the easiest gnocchi you will ever make.
You don’t need to labour over the potato, kneading it to the right consistency – the ricotta and flour together are much more forgiving and easier to work with.
The biggest secret with the perfect gnocchi is about about water vs flour. The less liquid you have, the less flour you need to use. Less flour means a lighter, more pillowy result.
So, make sure you drain the ricotta well, and get as much of the water out of the spinach as you can. I pop the blanched spinach all in a colander over the sink or a bowl and really push all the water out.
Make sure you use freshly grated parmesan, not just for flavour. Pre-grated parmesan is dryer and has a finer texture, which doesn’t melt into the gnocchi as easily.
Preparation
Roasted cherry tomatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- In a baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Toss everything to coat the tomatoes evenly.
- Roast the tomatoes in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until they start to blister and become soft.
Spinach ricotta gnocchi:
- Blanch spinach in a pot of boiling water for about 15 sec, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Roughly chop.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped spinach, ricotta, grated Parmesan, egg, salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg. Mix everything until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Gradually add the flour, starting with 1 cup. Mix by hand until the dough comes together. You want the dough to be soft and slightly sticky but not overly wet. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour.
- Lightly flour a clean surface and your hands. Take a portion of the dough and roll it into a rope, 2.5cm in diameter. Cut the rope into gnocchi pieces, about 3.5cm each.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water in batches. They are ready when they float to the surface. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a plate.
Burnt butter and sage:
- Melt the butter in a light-coloured skillet over medium heat. Add the fresh sage leaves to the pan.
- As the butter cooks further, it will go through several stages: foamy, then a light tan, and eventually to a golden brown color. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Stir the sage leaves occasionally.
- As soon as the butter reaches the desired color, remove it from the heat to prevent it from burning any further.
- Season the burnt butter and sage sauce with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Toss the gnocchi with the burnt butter and sage sauce and serve mixed with the roasted tomatoes.
Tips from the author
I like the chunks of spinach in this recipe. It’s not completely blended through, and you can still tell it’s spinach, the big flecks are quite pleasing. You could also use silverbeet.
When cooking, keep a close eye on the pot to see if they sink or swim. They are cooked when they float up to the surface.
The burnt butter and roast cherry tomatoes are a simple, easy way to serve these gnocchi. It’s such a crowd pleaser!
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