Sara Stirs the Pot

 

Happy Valentine's Day! Italian food asserts romance to me. Instead of orthodox pasta, I made homemade gnocchi today. I embraced a lighter version without potatoes, but it still carried an abundance of cheese. Spinach ran throughout each piece allowing a fresh taste to be channeled to the entire dish. The gnocchi rested in a straightforward tomato marinara. A pre-dinner antipasto platter consisting of cheeses, salami, prosciutto, olives, and crackers was a decorous accessory. The gnocchi along with a green salad would delight almost any palate.

Spinach Gnocchi:

32 oz Ricotta cheese

1 (9-ounce box) frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out

4 eggs

2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 t nutmeg

Kosher salt

1 to 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour, plus more for the outside of the gnocchi

Sauce:

1 can San Marzano tomatoes 

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

Kosher salt

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

6 to 7 basil leaves, cut into a slices

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

Special equipment: disposable pastry bag

Finely chop the squeezed spinach and add it to the ricotta. Add the eggs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg. Mix until well combined. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Add in 1 cup of flour. If the mixture is still very wet, add in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour.

Dust a sheet tray generously with flour. Coat another sheet tray generously with semolina flour. Fill a pastry bag with the ricotta/spinach mixture. Pipe 1 1/2-inch balls of the cheese mixture onto the flour lined tray. Shake the tray around to coat the balls in flour. Roll each flour coated cheese piece around in your hand to form a ball. Do this gently so as to not squish the cheese balls.

Sauce:

Coat a large straight-sided saute pan, over medium-high heat, with olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt, to taste. Toss in the crushed red pepper and cook the onions until they are soft and aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt, to taste. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Toss in the basil just before serving.

To assemble:

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat until the water is at a simmer. Carefully add the gnocchi to the simmering water. Cook until the gnocchi float and have begun to swell, 3 to 5 minutes.

On individual serving plates, spoon some sauce on each plate and spread it out until it becomes a 4 to 5-inch circle.

Using long handled mesh strainer, carefully remove the gnocchi from the cooking water, blot on a tea towel and arrange 6-10 gnocchi on each circle of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.

Until tomorrow...Peace.