Sheeps Milk Ricotta Gnocchi With Morel Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Testing the cheese (the day before you make the gnocchi):
• Check the cheese for wetness. If you are lucky enough to have an individual basket-drained ricotta-you'll see the basket imprint or dimples on the cheese-it may be sitting in a little whey; in this case, slide it out of the container and wick away the surface moisture with a dry towel. With any ricotta, place about 2 teaspoons of the cheese on a dry paper towel and wait for about 1 minute. There will always be a little wet spot under and around the cheese, but if the cheese has thrown a wide ring of moisture, it is too wet to use as is. Place it in a strainer, or double-wrap in cheesecloth, and suspend over a deeper receptacle to drain for 8 to 24 hours, refrigerated. Cheesecloth is more efficient, as it also wicks moisture from the cheese while gravity does its job of draining. You can also speed up the draining operation by cinching the cheesecloth tight and squeezing some of the moisture from the ball of cheese.
• Making the batter:
• Beat the ricotta vigorously, then smash a little cheese against the side of the bowl with a soft rubber spatula. If you can still make out firm curds, press the cheese through a strainer to break them up. Stir in the eggs. Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter-with the chopped sage, if using-and add to the batter. Add the nutmeg or lemon zest, if using. Add the Parmigiano and salt and beat the whole mixture very well. This is what makes the gnocchi light. You should have a soft, fluffy batter.
• Forming and testing a sample gnocchi:
• Make a bed of flour about 1/2 inch deep in a shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl, mass the batter, and smooth its surface. Use a spoon held at an angle to shallow-scoop out 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter. Use your fingertip to push the almond-shaped scoop of batter cleanly from the bowl of the spoon onto the bed of flour. Shimmy the pan gently to coat the sides, then flip the gnocchi with your fingertip to coat the top. Lift from the flour and cradle and rock it in your palm. Don't squeeze it. You should have a dusty oval pod. As long as the general shape is uniform and rotund, don't worry that the gnocchi has a few wrinkles, dimples, and bumps.
• To check the batter, poach this first gnocchi in a small pot of simmering well-salted water. It will initially sink, but will then swell, roll, and bob to the surface. Maintaining the quiet simmer, cook until the gnocchi is just firm, usually 3 to 5 minutes from the time it floats, depending on the cheese and the size of the gnocchi. Don't boil hard, or the gnocchi may explode. If, even at a gentle simmer, the gnocchi spreads or starts to decompose, the cheese was probably too wet. This can usually be corrected by beating a teaspoon or so of egg white into the remaining batter. If the batter was very fluffy[,-CUT] but the sample seems heavy, beat in about 1 teaspoon beaten egg. In either case, poach another sample to make sure the fix is successful.
• Taste the sample for salt, and adjust the batter if needed.
• Forming the remaining gnocchi:
• Use the same spoon-and-finger technique to form the rest of the gnocchi. I usually form them in groups of 4 to 6, placing them all at the same angle, and a few inches apart, in the bed of flour, then shimmy the pan to coat all of them at once; don't leave them sitting too long in the flour, or they will absorb too much. Keep scraping the bowl and smoothing the surface of the batter to permit smooth scoops. As with the sample, roll each gnocchi in your hand. Arrange them on a sheet pan lined with a flour-dusted sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. Be sure that the individual gnocchi are not touching one another.
• You can poach the gnocchi right away, but if you refrigerate them uncovered for about an hour, they will firm up, making them easier to cook and handle. (They will keep for up to 8 hours that way.)
• Cooking the gnocchi:
• Place the 8 tablespoons of butter and the 2 teaspoons of water in a 12-inch skillet; set aside.
• Bring 2 to 3 quarts water to a simmer in a wide pan, 10 or more inches in diameter, so the gnocchi won't crush each other too much as they push to the surface. A sauté pan, flared brasier, or saucier pan will work, as long as it is at least 2 inches deep. Salt the water liberally-about 1 teaspoon per quart. Add the gnocchi one by one, adjusting the heat to maintain the simmer. Dip your fingertips in water if you find they are sticking to the gnocchi, but don't fret if the gnocchi stick a little to the paper. Do avoid holding the tray of gnocchi in the steam. Cook the gnocchi as you did the sample, until just firm, 3 to 5 minutes from the time they float.
• Meanwhile, as soon as the gnocchi float to the surface, place the pan of butter and water over medium heat. Swirl the pan as the butter melts and begins to seethe. As soon as the butter is completely melted and has turned into an opaque pale yellow sauce, turn off the heat. Swirl the pan a few more times.
• Lift the gnocchi out with a slotted spoon or skimmer, slide into the ready skillet, and roll in the warm butter sauce. Serve instantly in warm bowls.
• Serving Suggestions:
• The mild flavor of the ricotta marries well with many other flavors and ingredients, especially sweet, subtle, or nutty ones. Whatever the companion, it should be tender and delicate-like the gnocchi themselves.
• Try serving the dumplings with a few leaves of sage, arugula, or spinach wilted in butter, or roll in melted butter with just-cooked baby carrots and fresh chervil. Or pair with tender flageolets finished with extra-virgin olive oil and black pepper. Or fold in matchsticks of just-cooked zucchini; its subtle flavor becomes clearer next to these gnocchi. In the spring, we offer them with barely cooked peas, tiny favas, or finely slivered asparagus, or all three. During summer, we match them with fresh white corn kernels cooked in butter with basil, or scatter them with chopped nasturtium blossoms. When tender-skinned Sungold Sweet 100 tomatoes are at their sweetest, we halve them, warm them in extra-virgin olive oil with basil, and toss them over the gnocchi. In the fall, fresh wild mushrooms slivered, stewed, and finished with white truffle oil are delicious with the gnocchi, and in the winter, whenever we have black truffles in house, we shave some generously over the dish.
• Variation
• Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi
• Prepare the batter as above. Warm an additional tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch skillet over low heat. Add a few handfuls of spinach leaves-about 2 ounces. Salt lightly and, stirring and folding constantly, cook until the spinach is completely wilted but still vibrant green, 1 to 2 minutes. Slide onto a clean towel, cover with another towel, and press to extract the moisture. (The spinach will bleed green into the towel.) Peel off the spinach and chop into bits the size of fresh thyme leaves. Don't chop fine, and don't purée, or you will sacrifice the nice texture and burst of flavor it promises. Beat the spinach flecks into the prepared batter, then form and cook the gnocchi as described above.

Steps:

• For the gnocchi: Combine the flour, Parmesan, lemon zest and salt in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta and egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your fingers until the dough just comes together, taking care not to overwork the dough, which could cause it to become tough.
• Scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface and pat into a rough square. Cut the dough into fourths with a bench scraper or knife. Gently roll each piece into a foot-long rope about an inch in diameter, flouring as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface. Cut each rope into 1/2-inch pieces with a bench scraper or knife and set aside.
• For the sauce: Heat 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat in a skillet large enough to accommodate all of the gnocchi without crowding. When the butter begins to foam, add the gnocchi to the skillet and cook, turning as necessary, until they're browned and crisp on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the sage leaves and cook until crisp, 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in 1/2 cup water, the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the Parmesan while turning the gnocchi. Let the sauce ingredients emulsify and form a silken coating, about 1 minute. Add more water if the skillet looks too dry. Spoon the gnocchi and sauce into shallow bowls and serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the ravioli: Mix together the ricotta, orange zest, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and season well with freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
• Lay the pasta dough out in long sheets on your counter. Working quickly, place 4 dollops of ricotta mixture along 1 sheet pasta, spacing them about 5 inches apart. Form the ricotta mixture into small "nests" with sufficient space for a duck egg yolk in each.
• Carefully transfer the yolks into each ricotta nest.
• Using a spray bottle filled with water, gently mist the pasta sheet to seal. Lay the second sheet of pasta over the first and use a ring cutter to seal. Seal the pasta gently with fingers.
• Dust a half sheet tray with flour and transfer the ravioli to the tray. Freeze until needed.
• When ready to serve: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the ravioli approximately 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to overcook.
• For the sauce: Add the butter to a saucepan over high heat; as it begins to melt, add the sage leaves and almonds. Allow the butter to brown. Squeeze in the orange juice and add a ladleful of pasta water. Add the Parmesan cheese. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the ravioli from the water and place directly into sauce, tossing to coat. Transfer the ravioli to plates and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
• To make the pasta dough: Mound the "00" flour on a cutting board or countertop. Sprinkle the salt over it. Form a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yolks. Add the olive oil and break each yolk. Using a plastic bench scraper or your fingers, draw the flour over the yolks from the perimeter. Continue to mix the flour into the yolks until it's all incorporated, kneading only enough for it to come together. Shape the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick. The mixture should be dense, flaky, and crumbly. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 10 to 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Take one piece of dough (keeping the others covered) and flatten it with your hands. If the dough feels very dry, dampen the surface with a few drops of water using your fingers or a pastry brush. Starting with the rollers of your pasta machine set to the widest setting, pass the dough through, five or six times, or until the dough begins to become pliable. Do the same for the remaining pieces. Narrow the rollers by one setting and roll each piece through it once. Continue narrowing the rollers and rolling the pasta through each consecutive setting one time until the dough has reached the desired thickness.
• Proceed to cut the pasta as desired, tossing the finished pasta with the rice flour to prevent sticking. The pasta at this point can sit at room temperature covered with parchment or a dry towel, something that will allow it to breathe but not dry out, for up to half a day. It can also be cut as desired, tossed with rice flour, and frozen in plastic bags for up to a month.

Steps:

• Process ricotta, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a food processor until smooth. Add flour and blend until a smooth, semi-stiff batter forms. Transfer gnocchi batter to a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms in hot oil until soft and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add vegetable broth, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer; stir in peas. Cook until peas are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil.
• Working in batches, drop spoonfuls of ricotta batter into boiling water. Bring water back to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove gnocchi to ice water to stop the cooking process, then drain and reserve. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Combine gnocchi and mushroom sauce in a saucepan and cook until heated through, 2 to 5 minutes.

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• Heat olive oil 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 simmer over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in shredded basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.
• To assemble the dish, stir the cubed mozzarella cheese into the sauce and allow the heat of the sauce to soften, but not melt the cheese. Place gnocchi into a serving bowl, and spoon sauce overtop.