Pan-Fried Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus and Peas

pan-fried ricotta gnocchi

Pan-fried ricotta gnocchi is golden and crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. Ricotta creates such a light and dreamy homemade gnocchi, which I much prefer over the potato version.

This recipe is great for spring, it’s light and doesn’t require a heavy sauce of any kind because it’s tossed together with fresh tender asparagus, peas, parmesan cheese, lemon zest and olive oil and it pairs perfectly with the soft and crispy bite of the pan-fried gnocchi. ricotta gnocchi

Some people think that making gnocchi is intimidating, but actually it’s easier than you think, and there’s absolutely no comparison to tasteless store bought, at least the ones I’ve tried.

Making them yourself is totally worth the effort and within no time you’ll get the hang of it, and they don’t have to be so picture perfect, that’s the special quality of making them homemade.

 

If you buy your ricotta from a good Italian deli like I do you’re usually going to have some liquid in the container when you bring it home, that needs to be drained really well to achieve a good gnocchi dough, in fact I think it is key.

 

I like to drain my ricotta in a strainer over a bowl that I keep in my fridge overnight, when your ricotta is nice and cold the dough comes together beautifully, if the ricotta is warm or room temperature it tends to be more sticky and you’ll keep adding more flour which in turn makes your gnocchi heavier, and we don’t want heavy gnocchi do we? We want it nice and fluffy.ricotta gnocchi

 

Whenever I make gnocchi I never serve them on the same day, I actually prefer to freeze them ahead of time and for some reason I think they cook up better from the frozen state, but one very important thing that I do before I freeze them is to boil up a couple just to make sure they don’t come apart, if they do, I’ll add a little more flour to the dough, just a little at a time. Then retest a couple more until they’re perfect, intact little dumplings holding together nicely in a gentle boil.

Gnocchi take only a few minutes to cook, toss them into a rolling gentle boil with salted water, give them one good stir, let them rise to the top and boil for an additional 1-2 minutes, scoop them out with a wide hand strainer. Never pour them directly into a strainer for fear they might break, you must be gentle and handle with care.

For the pan-fried version you scoop them out of the water and immediately toss them into a skillet with a mix of butter and olive oil letting them get slightly crispy golden on each side.

If you’re going through the trouble of making homemade gnocchi you might as well make a double batch like I do, you’ll be glad you did and besides it’s nice to have a stash set aside in your freezer, some for pan-frying and some for boiling and tossing into your favorite sauce.pan-fried ricotta gnocchi

I’m in love with this dish, it’s perfect for springtime, easy enough to make mid week and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party.pan-fried ricotta gnocchi

Pan-fried ricotta gnocchi gives you a little different take on the traditional boiled gnocchi, and the texture of the gnocchi holds up really well to the spring veggies you’re highlighting, but either way you choose to prepare it you can’t go wrong.

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5.0 from 2 reviews
Pan-Fried Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus and Peas
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • FOR THE RICOTTA GNOCCHI
  • 1½ cup of drained ricotta, nice and cold
  • ½ cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper
  • 1 cup or so of unbleached all purpose flour
  • VEGETABLE TOSS
  • 1 bunch of tender asparagus, chopped small like pea size but leaving the pretty tips on
  • 1 cup of frozen, defrosted peas
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
  • olive oil for drizzle
  • a knob of butter
  • more Parmigiano for garnish
Instructions
  1. PREPPING THE VEGGIES
  2. In a separate skillet, drizzled with olive oil, toss in your chopped asparagus, garlic and defrosted peas, sauteing until nicely al-dente, then set aside.
  3. FOR THE GNOCCHI
  4. Place ricotta, grated cheese, salt and pepper into a bowl, whisk egg then add in.
  5. If ricotta is lumpy, which it usually is, take a hand mixer on low to break up the lumps and just to incorporate all the ingredients.
  6. Then fold in flour, little by little, you might need less or you might need more, but dough should come together quickly and it will feel slightly sticky.
  7. Lightly flour your finger tips and a board.
  8. Cut off a chunk then roll it into a round snake, then cut off bite size pieces.
  9. Leave as is or make indention's with a gnocchi board or the tines of a fork.
  10. At this point you can freeze them single layer, then once frozen place them into zip lock bags, they stay good for a month.
  11. WHEN READY TO COOK THE FROZEN GNOCCHI
  12. Toss them into salted boiling water, let them float to the top and cook maybe another minute or so, then scoop them out carefully with a hand strainer, like a spider.
  13. For pan-fried, drain them first then crisp them up in an additional skillet with a good drizzle of olive oil and a small knob of butter, turning them until they crisp up golden on each side.
  14. Then incorporate the precooked veggies you had set aside together with the golden crisp gnocchi.
  15. Place them onto a platter adding more grated cheese of course, more olive oil and scatter the lemon zest all around.
  16. Happy Spring!

 

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Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Basil and Blistered Tomatoes

gnocchi with brown butter, basil and tomato

This is a summertime version of a brown butter sauce, no sage leaves used here, I’ll save that for the fall, instead I’m using fresh basil leaves tossed into hot, nutty tasting browned butter, just until crisp, then blistered cherry tomatoes complete with their juice get stirred in and around to complete the sauce.

It’s a killer combination, so quick and easy to make and the perfect flavor profile to top off your summertime pasta dishes.

frozen ricotta gnocchi

I for one love it with gnocchi, I’m partial to ricotta gnocchi, it’s my favorite, little fluffy pillows of cheese that melt in your mouth!

I normally make my own (just omit the kale if you want them plain in the link I’ve given you)  but once in a while I’ll buy some from my favorite Italian market and keep a few bags handy in the freezer, it makes for a very quick dinner that I can whip up in no time.

This sauce is also amazing spooned over cheese ravioli, if you’re not a gnocchi fan.

gnocchi with brown butter, basil and tomato

Very simple components, the only thing you have to do is roast the cherry tomatoes ahead of time and have them ready to go.

brown butter and basil

The basil leaves get frizzled and the juice of the tomatoes mingle nicely with the browned butter.

brown butter, basil and blistered tomatoesgnocchi brown butter, basil and tomatoes

Top it off with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, I’m serious, every bite is to die for!

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Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Basil and Blistered Tomatoes
 
The perfect summertime brown butter sauce to spoon over your pasta, using basil and blistered tomatoes!
Author:
Ingredients
  • 12 oz.to 1 lb of cooked ricotta gnocchi, with or without spinach, kale, or swiss chard added to the recipe,or just straight up plain or even cooked ravioli
  • 1 pint of colored cherry tomatoes, sliced in half and pre-roasted plus olive oil
  • ½ stick of unsalted butter
  • a good handful of fresh basil leaves
  • Grated parmesan for finishing
Instructions
  1. Roast the tomatoes beforehand, you can even do it a few days ahead and leave them in the fridge.
  2. Place sliced cherry tomatoes on a foil rimmed sheet pan, drizzle generously with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 375 until they blister and juices start to flow.
  3. Remove tomatoes and place into a bowl making sure to save and scrape all juices off the foil.
  4. Get your water boiling for the pasta, gnocchi takes only about 3 minutes, In the meantime start making your sauce.
  5. In a large skillet on top of stove heat butter on medium high until golden and starts to foam, toss in the basil leaves, let them frizzle for a second or two then stir in tomatoes and shut off the heat.
  6. Get your pasta into the pot, when gnocchi rise to the top gently scoop them out with a hand strainer and place them carefully into the skillet, spoon and make sure the sauce is all over them.
  7. Finish with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

 

 

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Homemade Kale Ricotta Gnocchi

pan fried kale gnocchiI still have so much kale growing in my garden, I think it loves the cooler weather. I’ve already froze a bunch to put into soups, made my kale pesto, and since I’ve had gnocchi on my mind I thought, why not add some in there?
ricer I don’t remember where I got this tip from but if you’re trying to squeeze out all the liquid from frozen or boiled spinach, kale, or any other leafy green, use a potato ricer! Even when I think I squeezed it all out by hand I’m so surprised how much more liquid comes out using the ricer, it’s amazing and it’s key to making this kind of gnocchi because you don’t ever want your dough to be really wet.

kale dough
Same thing goes for your ricotta, especially if you buy it from a good Italian deli. I usually always have some liquid in the container when I bring my ricotta home, that too needs to be drained really well to achieve a good gnocchi dough, in fact I think it is key.

kale dough I like to drain my ricotta in a strainer over a bowl that I keep in my fridge overnight, when your ricotta is nice and cold the dough comes together beautifully, if the ricotta is warm or room temperature it tends to be more sticky and you’ll keep adding more flour which in turn makes your gnocchi heavier, and we don’t want heavy gnocchi do we?

making kale gnocchi
Feel free to replace the kale for spinach or even swiss chard, but I have to tell you this was so good that I’ll be making it again and again!

kale gnocchi Light and tender little pillows of dough filled with ricotta, parmesan or romano cheese and kale, surprisingly quick to whip up!

kale gnocchiI decided to make mine 2 different ways, pan-fried with butternut squash in a brown butter sage sauce, and the more traditional way, boiled and tossed into a light homemade marinara. Please, never use jarred sauce from the grocery store!

pan fried gnocchi Gnocchi takes only a few minutes to cook, toss them into boiling salted water, give them one good stir, let them rise to the top and boil for an additional 2 minutes, scoop them out with a wide hand strainer. Never pour them directly into a strainer for fear they might break, you must be gentle and handle with care.

For the pan-fried version you scoop them out of the water and immediately toss them into your hot and sizzling brown butter sauce, let them get slightly crispy golden on each side.

pan fried gnocchiThis is a perfect dish for the fall season, I added small diced pre-roasted butternut squash and tossed it in with the gnocchi. Finish the dish off with freshly grated parmesan cheese scattered all over the top, perfection!


pan fried kale gnocchi
 Slightly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and flavored so good, it doesn’t get better than this, one of my absolute favorites!

kale gnocchiUnless you prefer them simply boiled and tossed into homemade marinara, ( I repeat… homemade!) my husbands favorite way.
kale gnocchi 
Either way you choose you won’t go wrong, I promise!

Homemade Kale Ricotta Gnocchi
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups of drained ricotta, nice and cold
  • ¼ cup of grated cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper
  • 3 heaping tablespoons of cooked, squeezed dry, then pulse chopped in a food processor of either kale, spinach or swiss chard.
  • 1 cup or so of unbleached AP flour
Instructions
  1. Place ricotta, grated cheese, salt and pepper into a bowl, whisk egg then add in.
  2. If ricotta is lumpy, which it usually is, take a hand mixer on low to break up the lumps and just to incorporate all the ingredients.
  3. Turn off the mixer and stir in the kale, I know it sounds like a small amount but the kale is damp and it all clumps together, when stirred it incorporates and distributes very well, 3 heaping tablespoons worked for the amount of flour and ricotta I used, but feel free to use more if you like.
  4. Then fold in flour, little by little, you might need less or you might need more, but dough should come together quickly.
  5. Lightly flour your finger tips and a board.
  6. Cut off a chunk then roll it into a round snake, then cut off bite size pieces.
  7. Leave as is or make indention's with a gnocchi board or the tines of a fork.
  8. Toss gnocchi into salted boiling water, let them float to the top and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, taste for doneness, then scoop them out with a hand strainer.
  9. Toss into your favorite sauce and eat immediately.
  10. For pan-fried, drain them and crisp them up in the sizzling butter sage sauce, then add small diced pre- roasted butternut squash and plenty of parmesan cheese.
  11. For my marinara sauce or additional sauce ideas for gnocchi, check out my e-book on Italian Sauces.
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Roasted Salmon with Pan Seared Gnocchi

This is not so much a recipe, but by placing these components together you create a fabulous meal! If you read my blog regularly you know I love my roasted tomatoes, I make them simply by placing foil on a rimmed lined baking sheet then adding shaved garlic and a very generous amount of olive oil, salt and pepper over my sweet cherry, grape or Campari tomatoes, roasting them in a 400-425 degree oven.  The tin foil holds all that juicy, tomatoey, oily goodness that comes out, for fear any would burn off!
 For added flavor in this dish, capers and olives were tossed into the juice.
I always roast my salmon at 450 for 15 minutes, take it out and let it rest.
Have you tried pan seared gnocchi yet? I urge you to try it! I had leftover ricotta gnocchi in my freezer and right from the frozen state you saute it in a pan with melted butter and a drizzle of olive oil, the outside gets golden and crispy and the middle is soft. I learned this technique from watching Chef Jonathan Waxman in a live demo. It was the perfect companion for my salmon along with some sauteed spinach.
Don’t waste the tomatoes! Toss them in fresh green beans with roasted cipollini onions, a delicious side!

Buon Appetito!

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Making Gnocchi

Recently I taught a class on making gnocchi at my friends gorgeous home, a hands on class where everyone would take part, we started the day off early, I was all prepped and ready to go!

We made two different kinds of gnocchi, butternut squash and ricotta. The squash was roasted, pureed in a food processor along with other ingredients, and then gently mixed into a dough.
Before we started we munched on a few appetizers and had some drinks, because after all we needed to build up our energy!

And then we got down to gnocchi business, with aprons on, each person had a job, some mixing the dough, some rolling, some cutting, but everyone wanted to try out the gnocchi boards, it was fun to see how fast they were all getting, gnocchi was flying everywhere!

We quickly filled up many trays, this was the butternut squash, I just love the color and taste, a big favorite of the day! Very light not heavy tasting at all.

The key to a light and fluffy ricotta gnocchi is to drain the ricotta of all moisture, I placed my ricotta in a fine strainer over a bowl in my fridge overnight, you can’t believe how much liquid comes out! By straining the ricotta you won’t have to keep adding additional flour to soak up that moisture which will keep them nice and light tasting.

I roasted mushrooms with olive oil, onions, garlic and zucchini and tossed the butternut squash gnocchi into it all, topped with fresh chopped parsley and generous amounts of freshly grated parmesan.

This is a perfect autumn dish, they just melt in your mouth, and the roasted vegetables just complement it all.

Another sauce that goes well with the butternut squash gnocchi is a fontina cheese sauce with torn spinach leaves and parmesan.

You can never go wrong with a simple marinara for the ricotta gnocchi, always a favorite!

But my new favorite way of eating them is tossing them into crumbled Italian sausage, roasted mushrooms, onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes. All dowsed with olive oil and freshly grated parmesan, and a sprinkling of fresh basil and parsley. Heavenly!

A fun day it was! Thanks to all who attended. The recipes are quite long so I didn’t put them in my post but I’d be happy to email them out to anyone if you so desire, just contact me at prouditaliancook@hotmail.com subject, Gnocchi.
UPDATE…
Thank you for the overwhelming response I got requesting my gnocchi recipes, I’ve sent out close to two hundred already! I’ve since learned how to post them on my Proud Italian Cook Facebook page. For those of you who are Facebook users you can get the recipes by going to my wall and on the lefthand side under “notes” they will be posted, for any others I will still email them out. Thanks to all!!
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