One of my favorite Italian dishes to make is Gnocchi, also known as “little dumplings”. Typically these are made with potatoes, semolina or flour, eggs, and served with a sauce. I prefer the lighter ricotta version. I have to say, these are SO easy to make, you only need 30 minutes and you will have an amazing dinner for your family and friends. I sometimes make these with spinach and sometimes not. My recipe and photos are for both. I hope you enjoy!
You will need 16 ounces of whole milk ricotta, 2 eggs, 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper and 1 cup of cooked chopped spinach (all the water must be removed).
It helps to have a gnocchi board, you can purchase one on Amazon for about $5.00.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, olive oil, eggs, spinach (if desired) salt, and pepper with a wooden spoon in a large mixing bowl. Add the all-purpose flour in 3 parts, stirring after each addition. You want the dough to be slightly sticky, add more flour if needed.
Bring the dough together in a ball and cut off one-quarter of it. Dust the work surface with all-purpose flour to prevent sticking, and roll the cut-off piece of dough into a dowel shape about 5/8 inch in diameter. Cut the dowel into 5/8-inch pieces. Dust some parchment paper with polenta or corn meal. Roll each dumpling on the gnocchi board.
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Place the gnocchi on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough, quarter by quarter.
Place the prepared gnocchi in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the Pancetta Cream Sauce, you will need 1 6 ounce package pancetta, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 shallot chopped, 2 gloves garlic, minced, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (if desired) 1 14.5 ounce can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes, ½ cup heavy whipping cream.
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pancetta from the pan and reserve, leaving the fat behind.
Add the oil, butter, diced shallots and garlic to the hot pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shallots have softened, about 5 minutes. 
Add the can tomatoes, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Add the reserved pancetta and heavy cream, cook an additional 2-3 minutes (or until the cream is hot).
Cook the gnocchi in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Serve tossed with a bit of the Pancetta Tomato Sauce, top with chopped basil and freshly grated Romano cheese. Alternatively, you can freeze the uncooked gnocchi for up to 2 weeks.
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Ricotta/Spinach Gnocchi:
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 – 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup cooked chopped spinach, squeezed dry (if desired)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
Pancetta Cream Sauce:
6 ounces thick-cut pancetta (about 3 1/4-inch slices), diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
One 14.5 ounce can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes
½ cup heavy whipping cream
4-5 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
Combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, olive oil, eggs, spinach (if desired) salt, and pepper with a wooden spoon in a large mixing bowl. Add the all-purpose flour in 3 parts, stirring with after each addition. You want the dough to be slightly sticky, add more flour if needed.
Bring the dough together in a ball and cut off one-quarter of it. Dust the work surface with all-purpose flour to prevent sticking, and roll the cut-off piece of dough into a dowel shape about 5/8 inch in diameter. Cut the dowel into 5/8-inch pieces. Dust some parchment paper with polenta or corn meal. Roll each dumpling on the gnocchi board. Place the gnocchi on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough, quarter by quarter.Place the prepared gnocchi in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the Pancetta Cream Sauce, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan and reserve, leaving the fat behind.
Add the oil, butter, diced shallots and garlic to the hot pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shallots have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the can tomatoes, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Add the reserved pancetta and heavy cream, cook an additional 2-3 minutes (or until the cream is hot).
Cook the gnocchi in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Serve tossed with a bit of the Pancetta Tomato Sauce chopped basil and freshly grated Romano Cheese. You can freeze the uncooked gnocchi for up to 2 weeks.
Buon Appetito!
One of the many fun things about working for ACH Food Companies was being able to “play” in the research & development kitchen. I just love “inventorizing” recipes for different occasions. I created this recipe just for my boss at the time, Fulya Eren, and used it not only as a dip but also as a pizza sauce. If you don’t have a food processor, you can also use a blender.
In the bowl of a food process add 3-4 (more or less if desired) cloves garlic. 
Add basil leaves and continue to process until basil is chopped. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, add softened butter (2 sticks) and continue to process until smooth. 
If the color is too green, add another stick of butter and repeat. 
Using a small scoop, scoop pesto butter onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (easy clean up). 
Foodsinthefastlane.me 