Ingredients
500g ricotta
250g frozen spinach
thawed
½ cup parmesan cheese
finely grated
1 lemon zest
2 tbsp mint
1 egg
lightly beaten
¼ cup pine nuts
semolina
for dusting the rolling surface
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup pouring cream
(60ml)
parmesan
extra, grated, for serving
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Pan
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Platter
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Tip
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.
Variation
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.
