Ricotta Gnocchi

GNOCCHI

Pronunciations sounds like: NYAH-key
Official pronunciation: nókee
Plural Noun
Definition: Italian dumplings: in Italian cooking, dumplings made of potato, semolina, or flour, usually boiled and served with soup or a sauce.
Source: http://www.bing.com/Dictionary/search?q=define+gnocchi&qpvt=define%3a+gnocchi&FORM=DTPDIA

I have never had gnocchi before I made this dish and, honestly, I didn't even look up what it was exactly. But it sounded really good and the picture looked tasty so I thought, "Let's try it!"

I really enjoyed this dish. It is definitely different and you may be surprised by the texture. My husband was a bit turned off by the fact that the dumplings are really soft and he felt like he was eating raw dough... I thought of them as really fat noodles and it didn't bother me. The taste was really great - rich and flavorful. We will be repeating this recipe again. 

The recipe below is my adapted recipe. If you want to view the original recipe you may do so at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ricotta-gnocchi/detail.aspx. The picture is located here: http://wynolapizzaexpress.com/Recipes/ricotta_gnocchi.jpg

RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

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Ingredients

Gnocchi:

• 1 (8 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½  teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil (I used half oil, half applesauce)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 – ½ shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan Cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until evenly combined. Mix in 1 cup of flour. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough. (Dough should be just a little sticky.)
2. Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces, and roll into 1/2-inch-thick ropes on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces, and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. Heat olive oil (and applesauce if you use it) in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes; bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. (I didn’t add any extra pepper.)
4. While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop the gnocchi in the pot, being careful to not splash the hot water on yourself. Once you have all the gnocchi in, stir gently one time. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.
5. To assemble the dish, stir the mozzarella cheese into the sauce and allow the heat of the sauce to soften, but try to not melt the cheese. Place gnocchi into a serving bowl, and spoon sauce over the top. We also like to stir the gnocchi with the sauce in a large bowl to get a more even sauce distribution.