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Italian
Soft and delicate Ricotta Dumplings are a light, tasty and versatile first course. They are easy to prepare and lend themselves to many seasoning.
Ricotta Dumplings
Italian Gnocchi are undoubtedly one of Italy’s most typical and popular traditional dishes. It is really impossible to resist these fluffy potato balls. There are different types of Italian dumplings, the most classic potato gnocchi, and all the different types of dough, with pumpkin, spinach, tomato, saffron, etc. Not to mention the many toppings, such as gnocchi with pesto, Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, etc. In addition to potato gnocchi, there are other variations, such as gnocchi with ricotta.
There are many variations on this recipe, but my favourite is the one I learnt at school, which uses fresh thyme and nutmeg in the mixture, topped with melted sage butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. A very simple and basic version, but always a winning combination.
How to Make Ricotta Gnocchi
Making ricotta gnocchi is very simple, just mix all the ingredients together and put them in a pastry bag. Prepare a pastry board and lightly flour it. Take the pastry bag and start making strips of pastry. When it is about 20–15 centimetres long, cut it off and start making dumplings, and continue until you have finished the dough. If you are very practical, you can make the dumplings directly on the frying pan, squeezing the bag with one hand and cutting dumpling after dumpling with a knife. Or you can make them by hand in the same way as Potato Gnocchi. Whichever method you choose, heat a saucepan with plenty of water and add salt when it comes to the boil. Then add a teaspoon of oil to the water and cook the gnocchi, which are done when they rise to the surface.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan over a medium heat, add three sage leaves and when the sage has browned and the butter has been seasoned, add the gnocchetti and sauté. Depending on how much you fry them, the cheese will take on an inviting brown colour. Serve hot with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
How to Season Ricotta Dumplings
As well as butter and sage, you can experiment with a delicate tomato sauce with shallots and basil, or sauté some fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, and Parmesan. Pesto is certainly a good option, but so is a walnut or pepper cream. In short, you can experiment and create lots of tasty variations.
Preparation Tips
When Ricotta Dumplings, you can omit the thyme and opt for something else such as, basil, finely chopped parsley. I made them with previously chopped nigella seeds, and they were really delicious, as nigella seeds have a flavour reminiscent of thyme and oregano and a hint of cumin. The peculiarity of Ricotta Dumplings, and their softness for this reason, is that I advise you to prepare and cook them the same day, at the most prepare the dough the night before for the next day. If prepared too far in advance, the flour will absorb the moisture of the dough, making them a bit hard once cooked.
Ricotta Dumplings with Sage and Butter Sauce
Ingredienti
- 1 kg of Cow Ricotta Cheese
- 250 g of All Purpose Flour
- 1 Egg
- 150 g of Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tsp of Thyme
- to taste Nutmeg
- to taste Black Pepper
- to taste Salt
- 60 g of Butter
- 3-4 leaf of Sage
- Parmesan Cheese
Preparazione
- In a bowl, mix 1 kg of Cow Ricotta Cheese, 250 g of All Purpose Flour, 1 Egg, 150 g of Parmesan Cheese, 1 tsp of Thyme, to taste Nutmeg, to taste Black Pepper, to taste Salt.
- Place the dough in a pastry bag with a large, smooth nozzle and shape into a salami of at least 20 cm on a lightly floured surface. If you prefer, you can form the salami by hand on a floured surface and continue as above.
- Heat a saucepan with plenty of hot water. Pour in a tablespoon of oil and when it comes to the boil, add salt and immerse the gnocchi. When they rise to the surface, wait a few minutes and drain.
- Melt60 g of Butter in a frying pan with3-4 leaf of Sage; when the sage begins to brown, add the gnocchi and fry; when lightly browned, remove from the heat and serve hot with a sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.
Nutrienti
Le informazioni nutrizionali sono una stima fornita da un calcolatore nutrizionale online. Non devono essere considerate un sostituto del consiglio di un nutrizionista professionista.