Ricotta Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Marjoram
I have never loved gnocchi, they are often heavy little pillows and rarely the little clouds that they are meant to be. In Rome Thursday is for gnocchi, I’m assuming that it was to fill you up before having to eat fish on Friday, which is another thing to expect in Rome. I found a few restaurants in Rome who made cloud-like gnocchi, delicious, but I am still not a lover.
Though after our neighbors were bringing us weekly tubs of fresh ricotta I have found that I love ricotta gnocchi, they have the lightness that I like in a dumpling and are so delicious and simple. My mother, who’s hands are featured in the photographs, helped me make them when she was here over the holidays. We had a lot of fun making them together and were very happy with the fruits of our labors.
The mushrooms were a nice touch, at this time of year you can find a lot of different types of mushrooms at the market. We choose the Pleurotus mushrooms, which are the easiest to find in the these parts. I also threw in a few dried porcini for extra flavor.
Ricotta Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Marjoram
from Bon Appétit
- 1 pound (about 2 1/4 cups) fresh ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces
- 4 green onions; white and pale green parts finely chopped, dark green parts thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves
Place ricotta in strainer set over medium bowl. Chill until ricotta has texture of wet clay, about 1 hour.Mix ricotta, 1/2 cup flour, egg, and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough is slightly sticky (do not add more than 4 tablespoonfuls). Cover and chill 30 minutes.Sprinkle rimmed baking sheet generously with flour. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Using hands, roll 1 piece on floured surface into 3/4-inch-wide log. Cut log crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Place gnocchi on prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover gnocchi with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.For sauce:
Heat olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add chopped white and pale green parts of green onions. Sauté 1 minute. Add wine; stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth. Stir until sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.Working in 2 batches, add gnocchi to large pot of boiling salted water, stirring to prevent sticking. Boil until gnocchi rise to surface of water, then continue boiling until cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to skillet with mushrooms. Add sliced dark green parts of green onions.Rewarm mushrooms with gnocchi and green onions over medium heat, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup cheese, butter, and marjoram; stir until cheese and butter melt. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates and sprinkle with additional cheese.
One Year Ago: Rape Selvatiche
Two Years Ago: Casa di Nonna
Three Years Ago: Shrimp and Grits alla Mediterranea & Spaghetti Squash all’Aglio e Olio
Four Years Ago: Sweet Potatoes Wrapped in Sage and Prosciutto
Five Years Ago: Pizzette, Ravioli con Ragù Napoletano & Ragù Napoletano and Grits
Italicious 
Sound delicious, and much better than those typical leaden, gummy specimens (I too have mixed feelings about gnocchi).
I made sweet potato gnocchi, which I like quite a lot, but ricotta ones sounds even tastier. Thanks for sharing the recipe!