We love gnocchi in our household and this recipe is my take on Gordon Ramsay’s home-made gnocchi recipe. It is a little time consuming baking the potatoes first and then making the gnocchi, but I assure you that the end result is satisfying and so delicious. Make it for a special occasion to show how much you care for a loved one.
INGREDIENTS
4 large floury potatoes like Agria
100 grams ricotta
120 grams plain flour
2 egg yolks
2-3 thyme sprigs
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Grated parmesan cheese, to serve
FOR THE SAUCE
Extra virgin olive oil, for pan frying
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup of green peas, if frozen defrosted
Butter
A few thyme leaves
Zest of 1 lemon
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Bake the potatoes in their skins for 60 -75 minutes until tender all the way through. Remove the flesh from the skins (ideally while still warm) and mash until smooth – a potato ricer works best here. If you do not have a potato ricer, you need to pass through a sieve and use the back of a large spoon to aid.
Mix in the ricotta, a pinch of salt, the white pepper and the flour. Make a well in the middle, add the egg yolks and begin to combine the mixture with floured hands. Work in the thyme leaves and continue until a smooth dough has formed. (Be careful not to overwork it or the dough will end up too dense and won’t expand when it goes into the water)
Cut the dough in half and shape each piece into a long cigar shape about 1.5cm thick. Using the back of a floured table knife, cut each length of dough into 2 cm pieces to make ‘pillows’ or individual gnocchi. Gently press each one in the centre using your floured finger. The dent will hold more sauce and allow the gnocchi to take on more flavour.
If preparing for a dinner party, you can store the gnocchi on a floured sheet pan in a single layer covered loosely with a tea towel in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
When ready to serve, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the gnocchi, tilting the pan from side to side briefly to stop them sticking together, then simmer for about one and a half to two minutes until they start to float. Drain the gnocchi and leave them to steam dry for 1-2 minutes.
Meanwhile, start to make the sauce. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Add the gnocchi to the hot pan with a pinch of salt and black pepper and sauté for 1-2 minutes on each side until nicely coloured.
Add the peas to the pan with a knob of butter and the thyme leaves. Toss to heat through, then add lemon zest. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.
Serves 6.