Pumpkin Seed Ricotta Gnocchi

May 19, 2023

Quick & easy compared to the potato counterpart! These pillow-ey parcels of creamy ricotta are enriched with pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seed flour for a nutty and delicious result. This would pair beautifully with a bolognese, simple pesto of your choice or the classic burnt butter sage sauce.

They are:

Vegetarian

You'll need:

450g traditional firm ricotta (usually in deli section)
1 whole egg
1 TBSP pumpkin seed oil
3/4 cup of '00' pasta flour or all purpose flour plus extra for rolling
1/4 cup of pumpkin seed flour
2 good pinches of salt
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan
big mixing bowl
bench scraper
fork or gnocchi roller optional

Method:

Allow ricotta to drain in a fine mesh sieve for 15mins until most if not all of the additional liquid has drained (you can also pat dry with paper towel if it is still moist after straining)
Add ricotta and all other ingredients to a large mixing bowl and incorporate using a spatula or hands until just mixed
Turn mixture out onto a flat surface prepared with 2TBSP of '00' flour spread evenly and kneed incorporating the flour on the surface to form a dough that holds together well and doesn't stick to the surface (you may need 1-2 more TBSP of flour).
Cut dough into 4 even portions using your bench scraper then roll out into long ropes about 2cm in diameter (its helpful to have a little flour on the bench to assist in the rolling process)
Using your bench scraper cut ropes into ~2cm pieces adding small amounts of flour throughout to prevent sticking together
If you don't have a gnocchi roller you can create the classic ridges by gently rolling them over the back of a fork

Cooking gnocchi (super quick only a few minutes!)

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. generously salt the water and return to boil
Meanwhile bring your chosen sauce to boil in another saucepan then simmer over low-medium heat ready for the hot gnocchi!
Add gnocchi to pot. Use a wooden spoon or spider to stir gently
Gnocchi will rise to surface when ready. cook for another 1min then remove and drain (reserve 1/2cup of pasta water to add to sauce if required)
Add gnocchi to saucepan to incorporate with sauce

Freezing for later

After rolling and cutting gnocchi put onto baking tray in a single layer and freeze until completely solid then transfer to containers ready for cooking.
Frozen gnocchi can be kept for up to a couple of months but is ready to go whenever you need.
Cook as per fresh but it will take a little longer than the fresh gnocchi to rise