Gluten-Free Ricotta & Spinach Gnocchi

Boil water in a small pot, add spinach, stir and cook until bright green, about 30 seconds. Pour into colander and refresh under cold water until cool. Place in paper towels and pat very dry.

Make dough: Add half of the ricotta cheese (I’ve used full fat fresh from a specialty store), the blanched spinach leaves and ONE egg to a small food processor. Whirl until combined and bright green in color, about 1 minute.

Add the second egg, remaining ricotta, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
PULSE to combine well – do not over process.

Add this mixture to a large bowl. Add the parmesan cheese and 1 cup of Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour.
Mix with a large fork or wooden spoon. When starting to come together, add the remaining 1 cup of flour.
Bring the dough together with your hands to make a ball of dough.

Flour your work surface lightly (you do not need much.) Add the round dough. Cut into 8 equal wedges (pie-shaped is easiest.)

Roll each eighth of dough into a long rope shape -approximately 3/4″ wide and 19″ long.
Cut 1 ” lengths with a sharp knife.
Take the tines of a dinner fork, and press down on each piece – hard enough to see the marks.. not top hard to flatten.
Turn each piece over and give a little pinch in the center of each to make a concave shape.

Lightly flour a large tray, lines with waxed paper. add the gnocchi pieces, continue with the rest of the dough.

To Cook:
Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil and add 1/4 of the gnocchi to poach.
Stir gently, after 3 minutes, they will float to the top. Let them continue to cook at this point another 2 minutes until cooked through.

Take them out with a slotted spoon or shallow strainer to a colander in the sink.
Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

Too many to cook?
Freeze remaining UNCOOKED gnocchi. Speed them out on the waxed paper lined tray.
Freeze until firm, then add to freezer bags, mark and freeze up to 2 months.

See recipes for saucing the Gnocchi.

Browning Gnocchi:Add 1 T. of unsalted butter for each cup of cooked gnocchi to a 12″ skillet.
Set to medium-high heat, add gnocchi and leave to brown on first side, do NOT stir, can shake up a little.
When brown on bottom, stir up until browned on second side. Add a pinch of salt all over. Remove to a plate to sauce.

Brown Butter Sauce – A little goes a long way!
For 2 cups of cooked Gnocchi
Heat 4 tablespoons of butter in a 12″ skillet. Melt, and add 2 medium sliced cloves of garlic. Cook over low heat for two minutes to soften the garlic. Raise heat to medium-high. The butter will start to brown – add any vegetables you like now –
I added 1/2 cup of fresh, raw shelled peas and 1/4 cup of shelled and blanched fava beans. Give a stir to coat the vegetables, and just cook them a la dente.

Pour the sauce over the gnocchi – add a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan reggiano cheese.
Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Garlic Scape & Basil Pesto:In a small food processor add: 1/2 cup of washed and chopped garlic scapes (I blanch mine first), 2 cups of basil leaves, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, two small garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of pine nuts. Process until smooth, scraping the bowl.
Add 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, process until a bright colored green pesto.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight glass container.

Gnocchi with Garlic Scape & Basil Pesto

To serve:Add to warm poached gnocchi (or reheat it), stir in pesto to cover. Grate some parmesan cheese over – dot with pine nuts and basil leaves. Vegetables like cooked garden peas and fava beans compliment well.