- 600g (about 4 bunches) English spinach, trimmed, washed
- 250g fresh full-fat ricotta
- 75g grated parmesan
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 100g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- Sea salt, to taste
- 30g unsalted butter, chopped, plus extra to grease
- Place spinach, with the water clinging to its leaves, in a pan over medium heat. Cook, covered, for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Drain and refresh with cold water, then set aside to cool. Once cool, squeeze all the excess water from the spinach and either chop finely or whiz in a food processor.
- Place the chopped spinach in a large bowl with the ricotta, 50g parmesan, egg, nutmeg and plain flour. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Use a fork to gently mix, and then use your hands to ensure all ingredients are well-combined.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into quarters, then roll each quarter into a long sausage shape (about 2cm in diameter). Cut dough at 3cm intervals and use the tynes of a fork to slightly indent and flatten each piece.
- Place gnocchi on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat grill to high. Lightly grease a gratin dish. Cook the gnocchi in batches in a large pan of boiling, salted water. When they rise to the surface, cook for a further minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the dish. Continue until all are cooked. Dot with butter, then sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and season.
- Place under grill for 3-4 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.
So it has been a little while since I have been on here. I have been extremely busy with things other than cooking! I have still found time though to cook up a small storm or two.
I hosted a intimate Spring has Sprung dinner for a couple of wonderful friends, it was very exciting to eat SALAD again!! It had been so long, and as much as I love wintery foods, I was dying for a salad. We had a crumbed boccincini and grilled tomoato salad and mixed berries and chocolate self saucing pudding. They were both very delicious. I will make sure I put both recipes up for you all to try.
I cooked dinner for a good friend of mine for his birthday and made the most amazing spinach and ricotta gnocchi (even if i do say so myself)!! It really was not like gnocchi at all, but at the same time it was... very hard to explain properly. I made a birthday cake/dessert from my new favourite recipe book (that was recently given to my as a present, from my very cool and recently engaged cousin) called Legless! It includes a range of desserts (puddings, mousse, jelly (shots), cakes, etc all with some sort of alcohol) and I tried the chocolate and frangelico cream cake.... mmmmm mmmmm mmmm
