Ricotta Gnocchi
By Jenny Breen
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta* or quark cheese*
- 1 small ramp or spring onion*, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 large egg*
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago style cheese*, plus additional for serving
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour, plus additional for dredging
- 8 ounces asparagus*, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 green garlic stalk*, pale green and white parts, thinly sliced crosswise
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives*
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Olive oil (for drizzling)
- Morels (optional)
- Bacon* (optional)
*Sourced at Mill City Farmers Market
Instructions
Cook leek/onion in small pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water; drain. Using hands, squeeze leek dry.
Mix ricotta, leek, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in bowl. Stir in 2/3 cup flour. Cover and chill mixture at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place flour for dredging in flat bowl. For each gnocchi, shape 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture into ball, then drop into bowl of flour, tossing to coat. Transfer gnocchi to baking sheet. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook until almost tender, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water; drain and pat dry. Reserve pot.
Bring pot of water back to a boil. Working in 2 batches, add gnocchi and cook until tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet and bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat, add butter and green garlic. Using slotted spoon, transfer to skillet; toss to coat.
Cook, tossing often, over medium heat until sauce has thickened and garlic has slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add asparagus, chives, and lemon juice and toss to warm asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Serve dumplings with more cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
***If using morels, cut lengthwise in thin pieces and toss with asparagus***if using bacon cook ahead of time and then crumble into skillet with asparagus
