Ricotta Parmesano Gnocchi

I love gnocchi whether they are made the traditional way with potatoes or this way with ricotta  and Parmesan cheeses. These Gnocchi are soft and cheesy and I have pan fried them with some sage and thyme and served them with fresh Parmesan shavings. They are easy to make, quick to prepare and can be frozen for a later date.

You will need:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese- drained
• 1/2 -3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano
• 10-15 scrapes of a freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 -1/2 cup all purpose flour
• salt/pepper

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 fresh sage leave- chopped 
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme- removed from stems- chopped fine
• more Parmesan to top

Start with a regular ricotta I usually buy the small container which is 1 cup.

Step 1: put ricotta in a sieve and let water drain into a bowl for at least 1 hour.

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Step 2: add the freshly grated Parmesan and mix in. Depending on how dry your ricotta is you may need 1/4 -1/2 cup

Step 3: add some freshly grated nutmeg

Step 4: add one egg yolk- you are trying to keep the moisture content down but, the egg yolk helps to bind the gnocchi. 

Step 5: at this stage I remove the mix onto a counter and add 1/4 cup of flour and incorporate by gently kneading the four into the cheese mix. You can add up to the additional 1/4 cup if required. You are looking to add only as much as necessary to get the dough to the stage where it is no longer sticky to the touch. If you wish to test your gnocchi. You can roll out a small piece and test it by adding your test gnocchi to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. If they fall apart you know you need to add a bit more flour to the mix. If they don't you are good to go.

Step 6: cut dough in half and then into half again.

Step 7: on a floured counter roll each ball into a log and cut the gnocchi. Toss with some flour to make sure they do not stick.

Step 8: you can simply press a finger into each one to for a dent in the middle or gently roll on the back of a fork to create ridges. Place on a floured plate and freeze for 30 minutes before boiling.

Step 9: chop your fresh herbs

Step 10: put gnocchi in boiling salted water, once they float, cook one more minute. This takes approximately 2-3 minutes in total.

Step 11: in a pan add oil and butter and fry herbs while gnocchi are boiling. Gently remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon dire and directly into the pan to saute until the little pillows are lightly golden.

Serve hot with some additional Parmesan shavings and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

or mushrooms and onions.