Ingredients
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5 Potatoes1-1.2 Kilo
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320 grams Ricotta
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600 grams Spinach
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1 Egg
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up to 100 Grams Flour
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pinch nutmeg
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1 tbls Black Pepper
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1 tbls Kosher Salt
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50 grams Parmesan cheese
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finish
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bread crumbs
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1/2 cup oil
Directions
Spinach and ricotta gnocchi are a great first course, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, they are a winner dish.
Although Gnocchi have many versions depends on the region of Italy it’s made in, I have chosen a variation of the northern Italy with Spinach, Ricotta and Potatoes which is pretty typical for Tuscan and Lombard regions.
The Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi even resembles a bit Gnudi which is made out of similar ingredients however the main ingredient is semolina flour and ricotta instead of potatoes.
The finishing steps are actually a bit different. I took it to a crispy version that could be married with any kind of sauce or just eaten “as is” with a touch of lemon and Parmesan cheese.
Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi guidelines
We want for as little as possible water in the dumplings.
We start by baking the potatoes and not boiling them and we use a starchy potato brand very similar to regular gnocchi .
The spinach needs to be dried out of excess water as well, we can’t have extra water in the dumpling, they will fall apart in the pan.
I even drain the ricotta for a few hours above a strainer in the fridge to lose liquids, don’t worry the dumpling will not be dry even after all the efforts to lose the extra water.
Cooking time
All the ingredients of the Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi are already cooked so no need to place them in hot water like we do to regular gnocchi.
In this version, we coat them with bread crumbs and fry them for a few minutes to create a crispy shell on the outside.
The Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi can be used the next day as well but take under consideration that we might need some more flour since the batter absorbed humidity in the fridge.
Steps
1
Done
1 hr
|
preparationspreheat the oven to 200°c/ 400°F. |
2
Done
5 minutes
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Mixing |
3
Done
15 minutes
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shape and fry |