Gnocchi – where have you been all our lives? So much easier than we anticipated!
Wine suggestion: We tried a delicious Langhe Nebbiolo by Luigi Pira from Piedmont in Italy which had a great balance between light weight, depth of flavour, dancing acidity and a characterful earthiness. Gnocchi is refined and elegant but also earthy and rustic and the food-wine combo matched really well.
Gnocchi – serves 4
- 2 large floury potatoes
- 50g ricotta cheese
- 90g plain flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves only
- sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
- Grated Parmesan – to serve
For the Sauce:
- olive oil
- black pepper
- 150g frozen peas, defrosted
- butter
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves only
- zest of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Bake the potatoes for 1-1¼ hours until tender. While the potatoes are still warm, remove the flesh from the skin and mash until smooth (use a potato ricer if you have one).
Mix in the ricotta, a pinch of salt and white pepper and the flour. Make a well in the middle, add the beaten egg and start to combine the mixture with floured hands. Work in the thyme leaves and continue until you have a smooth dough but don’t overwork or it will become too dense .
Cut the dough in half and shape each piece into a long cigar shape about 1.5 cm thick. Use the back of a floured table knife to cut each length into 2cm pieces to make ‘pillows’ of gnocchi.
Gently press each gnocchi in the middle with a floured finger.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the gnocchi, tilting the pan from side to side briefly to stop them sticking together, them simmer for just 1½-2 minutes or until they start to float.
Drain the gnocchi and leave to steam dry for a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a bit of olive oil. Add the gnocchi to the hot pan with a pinch of salt and black pepper and sauté for a minute or two on each side until coloured.
Add the peas to the pan with a knob of butter and the thyme leaves. Toss to heat through, then add the lemon zest. Serve with the grated Parmesan.
(Original recipe from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course, Hodder & Stoughton, 2012.)
Yum, I can’t wait to try this.
Reblogged this on YllaCaspia and commented:
A couple of months back I got my Goth to make me some gnocchi and it was so delicious I’ve been thinking of getting him to try it again. Almost definitely using this recipe, which looks amazing!