Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

I thought that gnocchi was always made with potato so, when I saw it, of course I had to try this Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi recipe. It was good timing as the spinach in my garden was going rampant so I had an ample supply that needed using.

250g Spinach
200g Ricotta cheese
50g finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp finely grated nutmeg
About 1 cup plain flour + extra for dusting

Wash the spinach, remove the stalks and roughly chop the leaves.

Place the leaves in a saucepan, cover and cook over a low heat until wilted (the water from washing will create steam).

Tip the wilted spinach into a sieve and use the back of a spoon to press out as much liquid as possible.

In a food processor, blend together the drained spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and nutmeg until smooth. Add the flour and pulse until the mixture just comes together in an sticky dough.

Tip the dough onto a generously floured bench. With floured hands, knead briefly until smooth. This dough is meant to be quite wet so a well-floured bench and hands are important.

Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces (I did 8). Roll each piece into a long sausage shape about 1cm wide. Cut into 3cm lengths making little gnocchi “pillows”. I found it very hard to roll the soft sticky dough so opted for 3cm sausages and cutting into 1cm pieces. Indent each pillow with the tines of a fork and place on a well-floured tray.

Bring 3 litres of water to a rapid boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 tsp salt and cook the gnocchi in several batches. The gnocchi are ready once they float to the surface (about 2-3 mins). Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander.

I froze a good portion of my gnocchi uncooked ready for cooking another time.

Drizzle with olive oil or browned butter and serve with a dusting of grated Parmesan and a green salad. Alternatively serve in a tomatoey sauce sprinkled with bread crumbs and topped with grated cheese – bake until the top is golden brown.