Ricotta Gnocchi w/ Peas & Lemon

Once you try ricotta gnocchi you won't ever want potato gnocchi again! They are so light and fluffy and not heavy at all. I make my own ricotta, but you can definitely use store bought. This is the recipe I use and always opt for homemade to avoid weird ingredients like added gums and thickeners.

Serves 4

Prep: 10

Cook: 20

Total: 30

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INGREDIENTS

Gnocchi

• 1&1/2 cups ricotta homemade or store bought, drained and patted dry with paper towels

• 1 egg & 2 egg yolks

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

• 1 cup or more of all purpose flour

• 3/4 tsp sea salt

Sauce & Garnishes

• 4 tbsp butter

• 1 lemon, juice and zest

• 1&1/2 cup frozen peas

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 shallot, finely minced

• 1/4 cup white wine, optional

• salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 cup fresh herbs minced, dill, parsley and chives

• freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (at least 1 TBSP salt!) Cover with a lid and keep hot over low heat while you make the gnocchi.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and dust lightly with flour.

Transfer ricotta to a medium bowl. Add 1 large egg, 2 egg yolks and 3/4 tsp salt, and several generous grinds of black pepper and mix well with a rubber spatula to combine. Then mix in ½ cup pre-grated Parmesan followed by 1 cup all-purpose flour. If dough is sticky, add more flour by the tablespoonful until dough is workable—it should still feel very light and pillowy (the amount of flour you need will vary depending on the moisture level of your ricotta—it could be 1–4 Tbsp. more). Don't add too much or you will risk having dense gnocchi.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead a couple of times to bring together. Cut into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece to make a ¾"-diameter strand, dusting with more flour as needed if dough is too sticky to work with.

Using a chef’s knife or a bench scraper, cut strands into ¾" pieces (flour your knife or scraper to make the process easier). Transfer gnocchi to prepared baking sheet as you go.

Now it’s time to cook your gnocchi. Bring the reserved water back to a vigorous boil over medium-high heat, add gnocchi to boiling water (it’s okay if some flour gets added too) Stir gnocchi gently with a slotted spoon to make sure they aren’t sticking to the pot or one another. Place clean baking sheet near your pot. Cook until gnocchi rise to the surface. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out gnocchi and place on baking sheet. Reserve 2 cups of starchy salted pasta water.

To make your sauce, heat a very large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter to start and the minced shallot and grated garlic.

Cook for a few second then pour in ½ cup reserved pasta cooking liquid; add 1&1/2 cups frozen peas. Cover pan and cook until peas are bright green and warmed through, about 3 minutes.

Remove lid and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Using spatula, vigorously stir in reserved cold butter a piece at a time, adding the next piece only after the previous piece is melted. You should have a smooth buttery sauce when you are done.

Finely grate zest from lemon into sauce, then squeeze in its juice. Add freshly ground black pepper or ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and mix well to incorporate. Add gnocchi and a handful of grated part and toss, adding up to ½ cup pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce clings to and coats gnocchi. Mix in most of the reserved chives or herbs and cook 20 seconds.

Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls and top with remaining chives or herbs and more parmesan and pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.

Tips

You can make the gnocchi ahead, cook and store in the fridge. You can always just make the gnocchi and pair it with red sauce!