Ricotta Gnocchi

Step 1

Drain the ricotta. This is a good step to do ahead of time, even the day before you plan to make gnocchi. Set a colander in a bowl or plate and line it with cheesecloth or several layers of paper towels. Spoon the ricotta into the cheesecloth and twist the ends over the ricotta to enclose the cheese completely. Place a small plate on top of the cheese and weigh it down with a heavy object. I use a small mortar, but any heavy object like a pot or large canned food will do. Let the ricotta drain for at least an hour, until it is no longer loose or watery. You should end up with 1 cup of dense, well-drained ricotta.

Step 2

Make the gnocchi dough. Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel and dust generously with flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 packed cup of the drained ricotta, Parmigiano, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if using. Mix well. Sprinkle about 2/3 cup of the flour over the top and fold it in until it’s quite stiff. Dust your work surface with all purpose flour. Scrape the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle a little more flour on top. Knead the dough into a pliable ball, adding flour bit by bit as needed, but not too much. The dough should feel slightly damp but not sticky.

Step 3

Roll into ropes. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Remove one piece and cover the rest with a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle the work surface with a little more flour and roll the piece of dough into a rope about the thickness of a finger. Roll the remaining pieces of dough into ropes. Then cut the ropes crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. Toss the pieces lightly in flour to prevent them from sticking or clumping together.

Step 4

Ridge the gnocchi (optional). Roll each piece of dough down the tines of a floured fork or gnocchi board, using your thumb to propel it, creating a small indentation. When you are done, you should have the groove from your finger on one side and ridges from the fork tines or gnocchi board on the other. Place the gnocchi on the baking sheets as you roll them. You should end up with about 120 gnocchi.

Step 5

Rest the gnocchi. Let the gnocchi rest for 30 minutes, uncovered. Then, cover with a clean kitchen towel and cook within 2 hours. (See notes for freezing tips.) This is a good time to ready your pasta sauce!

Step 6

Get ready to cook the gnocchi. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Have a batch of heated sauce at the ready.

Step 7

Cook the gnocchi. When the water is at a full boil, gently drop in the gnocchi. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pot. In a couple of minutes, even before the water returns to a boil, the gnocchi will start to bob to the surface. Let them cook for about 2 minutes, then taste one; it should be soft and tender but cooked throughout, with no raw flour flavor. If it’s not quite done, let it cook another 1 or 2 minutes, then taste again.

Step 8

Serve. Ladle the warm pasta sauce into your serving bowls. Transfer the cooked gnocchi with a skimmer or slotted spoon to the serving bowl and spoon more sauce on top. Toss very gently to coat all the gnocchi. Sprinkle a little Parmigiano on top and serve.