Spinach, lemon and ricotta gnocchi

Serves:

4

Ingredients

• 500g ricotta
• 250g frozen spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• zest of one lemon
• 2 tbsp mint
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• semolina (for dusting the rolling surface)
• juice of one lemon
• 1/4  cup (60ml) pouring cream
• extra parmesan, grated

Method

Combine the ricotta, spinach, parmesan, lemon zest, mint, egg and pine nuts and mix well.

Dust your work surface liberally with the semolina and place on it the ricotta mixture, one cup at a time. Gently roll into round sausages about 2cm thick.

Cut into little rectangles and repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the gnocchi for a few minutes on each side (the gnocchi should all rise to the surface when ready). Carefully remove from the water with a slotted spoon.

Wipe out the pan and place in it the lemon juice and cream. Gently heat, then place the gnocchi on a warm platter and pour over the warm lemony cream. Dust with extra parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions

Note

• You could swap the lemony cream sauce for a tomato-based one if you prefer. And if you do, maybe consider baking the gnocchi under a blanket of said tomato sauce with lots of parmesan on top.
• This ricotta and spinach gnocchi ‘dough’ can be used in loads of other dishes. It’s great when stuffed into a hollowed out sourdough loaf and baked, spread thickly between two slices of bread and cooked in a sandwich press or as a filling for a shortcrust pastry base.