I have been cooking, but nothing to write home about. Most of my cooking these days has been crock pot soups and cookies, two things that get me through these cold days. We just had our first snow fall of 2012 so a rich, hearty home cooked meal was in order. But what to cook? I must admit that I have been going out to eat a lot lately which is not good for the waistline, but does inspire me with some recipe ideas. Light, fluffy gnocchi has been on my mind.
My boyfriend's mother gave me the most wonderful gift for Christmas: a lime green Chantal Dutch Oven.
Ba bam! As far as I'm concerned you do not have a complete kitchen until you have a Dutch Oven and what better to make to christen this pot then delicious meat sauce to go with ricotta gnocchi.
Ricotta Gnocchi
Ingredients:
- 16 ounce container whole-milk ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (any grated cheese will work)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and extra for salting the water
- 3/4 cup flour (more may be needed)
Directions:
Most gnocchi recipes made with ricotta say to drain the ricotta. Unless you are using fresh ricotta you will not get most of the moisture out of the ricotta sold in the tubs at your local grocery store. If you want to drain the ricotta through paper towels for an hour feel free to. I, however, omit this step.
In a large bowl mix the ricotta, egg, cheese, salt, and flour until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Note: This is the point that I begin making the sauce.
After 15 minutes the dough should be tacky and roll easily between your fingers. If the dough is sticky, or gum like, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough becomes workable. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 15 minutes.
Put a large pot of salted water on the stove to bring to a boil. Sprinkle your work surface with flour as well as a plate or tray to place the rolled gnocchi on before cooking. Break off a golf ball size of dough and roll into a 3/4 inch log.
With a sharp knife cut the rolled dough into 3/4 inch pieces.
To make the gnocchi look a little more fancy roll them off the back of a fork to get the traditional grooves.
Place finished gnocchi on a floured sheet. Repeat making gnocchi until all the dough is prepped. If you are not going to cook the gnocchi in a relatively short period cover and place back in the refrigerator.
Cook gnocchi in two batches to prevent over crowding. Gently place half gnocchi in boiling water. Carefully stir to make sure gnocchi do not stick to each other. Once the gnocchi rises to the surface cook for an additional two minutes. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain.
Continue cooking gnocchi until all gnocchi are cooked. Place in a bowl, top with warm sauce (recipe to follow), and gently mix. Serve immediately.
Hearty Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients:
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 pound organic, grass fed lean beef
- 4 heaping teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 cup dry red wine or table wine
- 1 - 28 ounce San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 cup dried basil
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until the meat begins to brown, approximately 5-7 minutes.
Stir in garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add 1 cup of the red wine mixing thoroughly. Mix in the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
As you can see in the picture the sauce will thicken as it reduces. As long as the mixture is at a slow simmer you can cook it up to an hour.
Right before the sauce is ready to serve (when the gnocchi are cooking away) add nutmeg, basil, cream, and remaining 1/4 cup of wine.
Simmer for another 10 minutes. Then mix in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Toss gnocchi with sauce, add an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.
Delicious and worth the work.
