This Ricotta Gnocchi with Prosciutto, Crispy Sage, and Pangrattato is pure comfort. The pillowy soft Ricotta Gnocchi contrasts wonderfully with the crispy textures of the sage, proscuitto, and bread crumbs. The flavours of bright lemon, sweet pea, and salty prosciutto really mingle together, like a party on your tongue.
Comfort Food All Year Long
Spring is here but I’m not ready to give up on comfort food yet. Gnocchi is a comforting dish that can be served at any time of the year. Heavy creams and hearty bolognese are wonderful for fall gnocchi dishes. Bright and bold flavours really stand out in the spring.
Gnocchi or Gnudi?
I’ve previously made sweet potato gnocchi with great success so I switched it up a bit and made this gnocchi using ricotta. It’s one of the easier, more forgiving types of gnocchi to make especially since you don’t have to cook any potatoes for the dough.
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One thing that I am not sure of is the name ‘ricotta gnocchi’. I always thought that if you made gnocchi with ricotta you would call it ‘gnudi’. Still, I have seen it referred to as ‘gnocchi’ on many menus and recipes so if anyone has any information on the proper name, do let me know.
The Secret to Great Gnocchi
The ideal gnocchi are pillowy soft without being stodgy or grainy. They should be soft, but not so soft as to disintegrate during boiling. To achieve this texture, begin by purchasing the smoothest brand of ricotta you can. While you mix the dough, add the flour just a little bit at at time. The flour should be only slightly sticky and easily rolled. Lightly work the dough so that the flour is incorporated into the ricotta. Overworking the dough results in the formation of gluten strands and makes for tough gnocchi. It takes a bit of experience to know when to stop adding flour and just how much effort you should use on the dough , so don’t give up.
Call it ‘gnocchi’ or ‘gnudi’; or whatever you want…we just called it delicious! This dish was packed with spring flavours and was a lot of fun to make and eat.
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Ricotta Gnocchi with Crispy Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; divided
- 1 cup flour (and more, as needed)
- 5 to 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; divided
- 2 whole cloves garlic; peeled
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup peas or fresh chick peas
- 5-6 pieces of prosciutto; sliced
- a handful of fresh sage leaves
- butter
- 1 lemon; zested and juiced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- For the GNOCCHI, mix ricotta, egg, yolk, 1/2 cup Parmesan, nutmeg and 1 tsp salt until well combined.
- Mix in flour.
- Place dough on a floured work surface and knead for about 45 seconds to ensure ingredients are combined.
- Cover the dough with a large bowl or damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into 1/2-inch-thick rope on a floured work surface. Cut each cylinder into ½-inch pieces.
- Roll each piece on a gnocchi board or use a fork to give it a dimpled and indented texture.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted boiling water to a boil.
- Gently add gnocchi and cook for one minute after the gnocchi float to the water’s surface.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi.
- Fry the prosciutto until crispy. Remove from pan.
- Add butter and fry sage leaves until they are crispy. Remove from pan.
- To make the PANGRATTATO use the same pan and heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high.
- Add 1 garlic clove and fry until garlic begins to turn golden, then discard garlic.
- Add the bread crumbs and remaining salt to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until bread becomes golden, adding up to 1 tbsp more oil as needed.
- Transfer pangrattato to a plate and set aside.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add remaining garlic clove, fry until golden and discard garlic.
- Add gnocchi to pan and shake gently to distribute.
- Fry, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until the gnocchi turn golden, then add peas/fresh chick peas and toss and fry another couple of minutes.
- Transfer everything to a serving dish and add lemon zest, half the pangrattato and remaining pecorino.
- Toss to incorporate. Add lemon juice to taste and top with remaining pangrattato.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 843Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 2656mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 44g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
Your panfried gnocchi look so good with the sage and peas.
Thank you very much Karen!
Gosh this looks fabulous! I want to come round for supper!!
Thank you very much Keith, when shall I pencil you in for?
Maybe we could enjoy a meal over Skype!!
Beautiful pictures and we bet its even more delicious! We love the ingredients you use for this dish. Yum
This is mouthwateringly good!!!
Pretty damn close to gnudi my friend. My understanding is that gnudi is more of a ricotta and spinach dumpling. A naked ravioli filling, if you will (gnudi meaning naked). Whatever it is it looks damn fine and I’m sure its taste equalled the appearance!!
Interesting that my kids knew that ‘Italian’ word since they were two…they would run around the house shouting ‘gnudi’!!
BTW we saw Chef tonight. You MUST go if you haven’t already. amazing, hilarious, true. I generally don’t buy movies, I’m buying this one.
Will do!
I have always been curious about fresh chickpeas and I see you used them here. I bought them a few years ago and didn’t really know what to do with them. This is fantastic! I must make this…
Funny story. I actually bought them and didn’t know what they were. The sign above them said they were fava beans but I knew that was wrong. So they were a mystery until I shelled them…and they just looked like chick peas to me. They are best when they are smallest, the larger ones aren’t as nice tasting.
That is a funny story. I wonder if the market was unsure of what they were so just went with fava’s. Ha!
I know, hey? I think that is what happened too.
Your photos are great; I’m drooling…