Italian Recipe - Gnocchi
Gnocchi is the Italian word for dumpling, literally meaning "lumps." They can be made of potato and semolina (durum wheat) or flour, ricotta cheese (with or without spinach), or semolina. Although the dish is Italian, the word comes from a Germanic word for a knot (as in wood), possibly because of its short, squat shape. Gnocchi are often listed among pasta dishes, although gnocchi has different ingredients and mode of preparation. In Argentina, where Italian cuisine is especially popular, gnocchi (known as ñoquis) are traditionally eaten on the 29th of each month. This was the day before payday, when people were at their poorest. In a curious reversal of meaning, in Argentine slang ñoquis has also become a way to denote some government employee that is listed in the payroll but only shows up to collect his or her paychek around the 29th of each month.
Ingredients
- 900g/2lbs fresh spinach
- 350g/12oz ricotta cheese
- 60ml/4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3 size 2 eggs, beaten
- 1.5ml/1/4 tbsp grated nutmeg
- 40-60ml/3-4 tbsp plain flour
- 115g/40z butter, melted
- salt and ground pepper
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preparation
Place the spinach in a large pan and cook for 5 minutes, until wilted. Leave to cool, then squeese the spinach as dry as possible. Process in a blender or food processor, then transfer to a bowl.Add the ricotta, parmesan, eggs and nutmeg. Season with slat and pepper and mix together. Add enough flour to make the miuxture into soft dough. Using your hands, shape hte mixture into 7.5cm/3 inch sausages, then dust lightly with flour.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Gently slide the gnocchi into the water and cook for 1-2 minutes, until they float to the surface. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warmed dish. Pour over ht emelted butter and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve at once.
