Spinach And Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 2 lbs fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
• 2/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
• 2 large eggs
• 12 mint leaves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 small sage leaves, minced

Recipe

• 1 drain the ricotta cheese in a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl until it is very dry. transfer the cheese to a large bowl and set it aside.
• 2 cook the spinach in batches in a covered large soup pot with no additional water until the spinach has wilted. drain it in a colander, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the spinach as dry as possible with your hands to remove excess water. you should have about 2 cups of squeezed spinach.
• 3 chop the spinach coarsely, then purée it in a blender or food processor until it is very smooth. transfer the spinach to the bowl with the cheese and stir in 1/3 cup of the grated cheese, eggs, mint, salt, nutmeg and pepper, and mix well. begin adding the flour a little at a time until a soft dough is obtained and is not sticking to your hands.
• 4 it is easier to form the gnocchi if the dough is refrigerated for several hours or overnight.
• 5 lightly flour a work surface. using two soupspoons, shape heaping tablespoons of the dough into an oval or egg shape then gently slide the dough off the spoon onto the floured surface.
• 6 bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. with a spoon, scoop up about 8 to 10 gnocchi at a time and add them to the water. boil them until they float.
• 7 meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan and stir in the sage leaves. cover the pan and keep the sauce warm.
• 8 use a slotted spoon to remove and transfer the gnocchi to the sauce tossing them gently until well coated with the sauce.
• 9 divide between 8 individual plates and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese. serve hot.