Baked ricotta gnocchi

When I was in graduate school its the early 2000s, I took a vacation in Spain and spent a lot of time with my old Maine friends Louise and Neil in Santiago de Compostela, where Neil was a student. My birthday came during that trip, and they treated me to dinner at a lovely restaurant in the old part of the city, where we both were staying. Seeing gnocchi on the menu, I had to have it. I'm a sucker for dumplings of any kind. These little, fresh dumplings were divine, tossed in a simple basil pesto. 

Many years later, I chaperoned a GSA trip to Italy, and when we got to the piazza del comune in Assisi, we broke off into groups for lunch. Two other teachers, Jackie and Rachel, and I decided to steer clear of the tourist-focused restaurants on the piazza, and within a few minutes walk, we found a place that looked promising: Ristorante I Monaci. After we settled in, I saw gnocchi on the menu and knew that I had to order it. I was expecting potato gnocchi, but when they came out, I realized that's not what I had ordered. These gnocchi weren't the small dumplings I was used to. They were the size of hens eggs, and they sat in a broiled casserole with sauce and a bit of cheese. When I cut into one of these gnocchi, the texture was incredible. They were soft, almost spongy, and absolutely delicious.

As the years passed, I realized that I wouldn't eat those dumplings again unless I made them for myself. I asked the restaurant for the recipe: no reply. I went online to find something that looked the same, thinking there'd be a recipe attached. I had no luck at first, but eventually, I found enough references to ricotta gnocchi that I decide to give it a shot. The recipes were inconsistent, though, so I set about figuring out the core principles for making ricotta gnocchi. Though these are not quite as spongy as what I ate in Assisi, they are still delizioso. Though it takes a bit of planning to make them, they are otherwise simple to prepare. Enjoy!

Baked ricotta gnocchi (serves four as a side or single course)

Ricotta gnocchi w/sauce and mozzarella

1/2 c. finely grated parmesan cheese
1 c. ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 c. flour
olive oil

2-4 c. tomato sauce
1 c. shredded mozzarella

Set a large pot of salted water to boil.

Set the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the tomato sauce into the casserole, then slide the pan in the oven. Feel free to embellish the sauce. I start with crushed tomatoes and add garlic powder, a bit of truffle salt, basil, oregano, maybe a bit of crumbled Italian sausage--whatever I feel like.

As the pan and sauce warms, mix the parmesan, ricotta, and eggs well. I used a food processor, but a spoon or whisk will do. Transfer this into a large bowl. Fold in about one-third of the flour being careful not to mix it too much. The liquid and agitation activates the gluten and can make the dumplings tough. Gradually add the remaining flour. The mixture will go from being like batter, to being a soft dough that deforms, to being a stiffer dough that doesn't deform. That's what we're aiming for. 

Rub some olive oil on your hands, then take golf ball-sized lumps of dough and roll them quickly in your hands to make small balls. Set these on a platter as you go, but don't let them touch. After they are all rolled, put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a shallow bowl and put that near the boiling pot. Take the pan with the sauce out of the oven and put it near the shallow bowl. Turn the oven up to 500 degrees.

One at a time, drop the dumplings in the boiling water. After a couple minutes, they should rise to the surface. Continue to boil them for another minute or two, then using a slotted spoon, take several out, put them in the bowl with oil, and roll them around quickly to coat them with oil. Place them in the pan of sauce. Continue till all the dumplings are oiled and in the pan. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and put the dish in the oven. Bake till the cheese is well melted, about five minutes, then turn the heat up to broil. When the cheese has started to brown, remove the pan from the oven. Serve with the sauce and enjoy!