Biba's Ricotta Squash Gnocchi

I found this wonderful gnocchi recipe which I love at Martha Stewart. I don't know who she is but according to Martha Stewart this recipe was passed down to chef Biba Caggiano from her mother. Thank God for that:)

It's a little time consuming, but you can prepare it a day ahead and cook it later on.

I love the fact that this is a gnocchi that uses a vegetable instead of traditional potatoes or just flour. It is really delicious.

There is really nothing to change or add to this recipe. Just grab a glass of white wine and enjoy:)

BIBA'S RICOTTA SQUASH GNOCCHI

Ingredients:
For the gnocchi:
2 pounds butternut squash
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
5 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/3 to 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

For the sauce:
3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 fresh sage leaves, torn
Coarse salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place on prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil. Bake until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let cool slightly; remove and discard the seeds, and scrape the pulp from the skin. Place the pulp in a large kitchen towel (not terrycloth), wrap it around the squash, and squeeze out approximately 3/4 cup of the juices.

In a large bowl, combine the squash pulp, egg, ricotta, Parmigiano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/3 cups flour. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until thoroughly blended together. Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured wooden board, and, with your hands, work gently into a dough, gradually adding a little more flour if the dough sticks too much to your hands and to the board. Dust the dough lightly with flour, and place in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

To form the gnocchi, cut off a piece of dough about the size of an orange. Flour your hands lightly. Using both hands, roll out the piece of dough with a light back-and-forth motion into a rope about the thickness of your index finger. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces. Hold a fork with the tines against the work surface, the curved part of the fork facing away. Starting from the bottom of the tines of the fork, press each piece of dough with your index finger firmly upward along the length of the tines, then let the gnocchi fall back onto the work surface. Repeat with the remaining dough until all the gnocchi have been formed. Transfer gnocchi to a lightly floured platter or baking sheet. The gnocchi can be cooked immediately or refrigerated, uncovered, overnight.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add remaining tablespoon salt and gnocchi. Cover pot, and cook until water returns to a boil. Uncover, and cook until the gnocchi rise to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cook for just 20 to 30 seconds more.

While the gnocchi are cooking, make the sauce: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it begins to foam, add sage, and stir a few times.

Remove the gnocchi from the pot with a slotted spoon or a skimmer, draining the excess water back into the pot, and place in the skillet. Season lightly with salt, and add a small handful of the Parmigiano. Stir over medium heat until the gnocchi are well coated with butter. Taste, adjust for seasoning, and serve immediately with a sprinkling of Parmigiano.

Makes 4 servings

Spotted Pig's Ricotta Gnudi

A friend of mine has visited the Spotted Pig in New York, and could not stop raving about the ricotta gnudi. When I checked into it, I found out that people wait over an hour to be able to eat these delicious gnocchi.

She says she looked for the recipe and found it and tried it right away. She even sent me a picture of the dish that she cooked, and it just looks luscious, so tonight I'm trying it:)

I'm adding the recipe below, and I think there isn't much that you can do to this recipe but enjoy it:) Bon Appetit!

SPOTTED PIG'S RICOTTA GNUDI

Ingredients:
1 egg
340 gr fresh ricotta cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
113 gr freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup semolina flour
1 tbls all purpose flour

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, one tablespoon chopped tarragon, egg, Parmigiano, half of the flour and the tbls of all-purpose flour. Using a wooden spoon, mix until the ingredients are well combined. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place the remaining flour in a shallow bowl. Using floured hands, pinch about a tablespoon worth of mixture and form into a little football shape. Dredge each through the flour in the bowl and onto a baking sheet. Continue this until you've made as many gnocchi shaped pieces as you can. You can either immediately poach them or cover with foil and refrigerate for up to a few hours.

While the gnudi are boiling, melt the butter in a saucepan until it has foamed and the foam has subsided and the butter starts to turn a honeyed sort of brown. Add sage leaves and sauté until super fragrant and a bit crisp. Once gnudi is cooked, divide among bowls and then top with browned sage butter and a serious grating of Parmesan.

Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce

Gnocchi is so easy to make that it makes no sense to buy it ready. Plus it tastes so much better. But it is time consuming, so time yourself accordingly.

Be careful with the sauce, if you don't like Gorgonzola, it won't taste good to you. You can still use the gnocchi recipe, which is a great base recipe. Just use another sauce, such as a creamy mushroom sauce or a marinara sauce. You can basically use any pasta sauce that you like.

If you do like Gorgonzola, keep in mind that this is a heavy meal, and with the cheese, it will become heavier. But, it is the ultimate comfort food:)

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH GORGONZOLA SAUCE

Ingredients:
1 pound baking potatoes, washed
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound Gorgonzola
Chopped fresh chives
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
Pierce potatoes several times with fork. Microwave until tender, turning once, about 16 minutes total.

Remove and cool completely. Peel the potatoes, discarding the skin, and place in a bowl. With a hand potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the egg and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the flour. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup flour on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Turn the dough onto the floured surface and roll into a log, about 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece across the tines of a fork.

In a large saucepan, combine the milk, water, 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Bring the liquid just to a boil. Add the gnocchi and poach for 5 minutes. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and drain.

Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Toss the gnocchi with the cream sauce. Spoon onto a large serving platter. Sprinkle with chives and Parmesan, if desired; serve.