Gnocchi with peas
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.)
