How to Make Any Gnocchi Recipe Better—Hint: It's All About Ricotta (2024)

FAQs

Is gnocchi better with potato or ricotta? ›

Comparatively speaking, ricotta gnocchi are quicker to prepare (just mix everything together- no potatoes to boil here!) and the texture is light and fluffy, in a unique “spongey” type way. As for the taste, potato gnocchi taste like…. potato, whereas ricotta gnocchi are more mild in flavor.

Not draining the ricotta properly will result in sticky dough that requires extra flour, which will make the gnocchi gummy. It should be thick and dense and almost sliceable when properly drained. Mix the ingredients without flour.

Gnudi (Italian: [ˈɲuːdi]), also called malfatti, are gnocchi-like dumplings made with ricotta cheese and semolina instead of potato flour.

I used a local goat cheese to add richness to the sauce. I think it really adds a special touch but if you don't like goat cheese you can try substituting cream cheese or ricotta – you just won't have the same tanginess.

"Gnocchi is usually made with potatoes or ricotta cheese, but using cottage cheese makes making the dough so easy!

Ricotta di pecora or ricotta mista is used in a great variety of sauces and pasta recipes, especially those with vegetables such as eggplant, peppers, zucchini and spinach. It's also ideal for pasta al forno (baked pasta)—as prepared in the central southern regions of Italy—and in torte (pies).

When cool enough to handle, scrape off the skins and push the potato through a ricer or food mill, then, while still warm, start working your dough on a floured work surface. (Here, Davies offers up another tip to fight the mush: “Spread out the mash to cool; the escaping steam will further take away any moisture.”)

Your gnocchi may be mushy because of any or all of the following reasons: boiled the potatoes instead of baked them. used waxy new potatoes with too much moisture in them. not used eggs to help texture.

Any leftover gnocchi should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. They will last up to three days in the fridge. To freeze the gnocchi, place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze for about two hours, then transfer them to a freezer bag or an air tight container.

Gnudi are a tasty Tuscan, Italian favorite consisting of ricotta dough balls that got its name from the English word “nudi,” or naked. Often times called naked ravioli, gnudi is essentially the stuffing that goes into the ravioli.

Which flour is best for gnocchi? ›

Italian flour

Plus, it has too much protein: High-protein wheat results in chewy gnocchi. If you want to be true to Italian gnocchi, look for imported Italian flour marked "00 tenero," which is milled from soft wheat with a low protein content.

The word gnocchi may be derived from the Italian word nocchio, meaning a knot in wood, or from nocca, meaning knuckle. It has been a traditional type of Italian pasta since Roman times. It was introduced by the Roman legions during the expansion of the empire into the countries of the European continent.

It is very easy to add too much flour to gnocchi dough, which can make these dumplings glutinous, gummy, and sticky. If you dump all of the flour into your gnocchi dough at once, you won't have the same texture as a gnocchi that has just enough flour to bring it together.

Traditional potato gnocchi are made of potato bound together with flour and egg, whereas ricotta gnocchi replaces the potato with ricotta cheese. Because of ricotta's springy texture and the lack of potatoes, ricotta gnocchi has a lighter texture than potato gnocchi.

Mascarpone: Another Italian cheese, mascarpone makes a great ricotta substitute. However, since mascarpone is more tart and flavorful, you should only use it in dishes with other strong flavors.

A classic choice for saucing gnocchi is a simple combination of butter and sage, but the possibilities are endless. Simpler sauces like pesto, marinara and vodka are good choices, as are heartier sauces like Bolognese, cheese and cream sauces.

Step one: Start with Yukon Gold potatoes. Russets will do, but Yukon Golds have more of the nutty flavor of the yellow-fleshed boiling potatoes used by the Italian and Provençal cooks who have mastered gnocchi.

At Faro, Adey says, “We run very few potato gnocchi.” Instead they stick to the less common side of the root vegetable family: “Parsnip, gilfeather turnip, and salsify work great.” Broccoli and cauliflower, which are sturdy and dry, also hold up well to the test.

Don't overwork the dough: When making gnocchi dough, it's important not to overwork it. Overworking the dough can make the gnocchi tough and chewy. Mix the ingredients together just until the dough comes together, and then stop mixing! You're not kneading bread here.