Chef notes
Don’t panic if you’ve never made homemade pasta before! Here to the rescue, Justin Chapple, the test kitchen pro behind Food & Wine's Mad Genius Tips, shares an ingenious way to turn gnocchi dough into perfect bite-size pieces.
The cooked gnocchi can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat in simmering water for 1 minute before serving.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus more for sprinkling
- Freshly ground pepper, snipped chives, chopped parsley and small basil leaves, for garnish
Preparation
1.Tie a length of thin kitchen twine tightly across a large, two-handled saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water and bring to a simmer. Add a generous pinch of the salt.
2.Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the ricotta with the egg and cheese until smooth; scrape down the side of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour and 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt and pulse until just incorporated.
3.Scrape the gnocchi dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2- to 3/4-inch round tip. Alternatively, use a large sturdy resealable plastic bag; press the dough into a corner of the bag to remove as much air as possible, then snip off the corner to make a 1/2- to 3/4-inch opening.
4.Using steady pressure and working over the pot of simmering water, pipe out 1/3 of the gnocchi dough into 3/4-inch pieces, using the twine to cut them into the saucepan. Simmer until the gnocchi rise to the surface, then continue simmering until they're plumped and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough in 2 batches.
5.Transfer the gnocchi to a platter. Add the olive oil and the lemon zest and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, grated lemon zest, snipped chives, chopped parsley and small basil leaves. Serve right away.