Ricotta Gnocchi with Corn & Tomatoes

These homemade ricotta gnocchi looked like they were going to be difficult to make, but you know…they were not! It was actually a pretty quick & simple recipe… & it seemed like a restaurant dish! We enjoyed a delicious glass of red wine with it while sitting outside on a lovely August evening.

The recipe is from Chatelaine magazine. I have always liked the recipes featured in this magazine.

Do not be intimidated by the thought of making homemade gnocchi…it is just mixing up a dough, this one is simple with ricotta not potatoes, & then boiling them. These little gnocchi are pan-fried & the corn & tomatoes are just simply cooked up in a saucepan. I had just enough fresh basil in our garden for this recipe.

If you want to get the groceries you will need on your way home from work today that you might not have in your pantry…here is a list

GROCERY LIST

1 SMALL TUB OF FRESH RICOTTA CHEESE

1 LARGE EAR OF CORN

2 CUPS CHERRY TOMATOES

ABOUT 1 CUP OF BASIL..THIS WILL GIVE YOU SOME EXTRA

1 LEMON

CHIVES…BUT IF YOU CAN NOT FIND CHIVES MAYBE USE THE TOPS OF GREEN ONIONS.

1 CUP FINELY GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

CHECK THE RECIPE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING ELSE..BUT MOST LIKELY YOU DO…AN EGG, OIL, FLOUR, SALT, PEPPER & GARLIC CLOVES…

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

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2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

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Gnocchi

1 egg

1 cup ricotta, preferably dry *** if the ricotta is wet, drain the water off before making the gnocchi

3/4 cup grated Parmesan *** use freshly grated, not the powdered stuff

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp chopped chives *** or use the tops of green onions but very finely chopped

3 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp lemon zest

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup flour

1 Tbsp olive oil

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1 cup of fresh corn kernels, cut off 1 large ear of corn *** if you do not have fresh corn, use frozen

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the cut tomatoes, lemon juice & 1/4 tsp salt…. set aside
2. Bring a large pot of slated water to a boil so it is ready to make the gnocchi as it does not take long to mix up the dough
3. To make the Gnocchi :  In a large bowl, beat the egg. Stir int he ricotta, parmesan, garlic, chives, basil, lemon zest, salt & pepper. Mix well. Stir in the flour …I used all of it.  Divide the dough into 4 balls. On a floured surface, with your hands..roll each of the 4 portions of dough into ropes.. approx. 9 inches long…. I found the dough sticky so had to use flour on my hands to roll it out. Cut each rope into 10 pieces…. I floured my knife so that the dough would not stick to the dough*** go light on the flour though…just a dusting on the work surface & on your hands & knife
4. Put a kitchen towel on a baking sheet & set close to the pot of water. You will be putting the boiled gnocchi onto the towel before pan frying them
5. Pop the gnocchi into the boiling water in 2 batches… 20 at a time…& boil until they are floating & cooked through…about 3-4 minutes..*** I did not time them..just watched to see that they were floating..& I let them float up there for a few minutes….
6. When the first batch are finished boiling…remove them from the water with a slotted spoon & put them gently onto the kitchen towel. Then boil the second batch & put those on the towel… put them on the towel in a single layer
7. in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the gnocchi in 2 batches until they are brown, gently turning them over to brown each side. After each batch is browned, remove to a serving platter & set aside.
8. Using the same skillet, add the corn & cook it for about a minute. *** I microwaved the corn kernels to cook them first… Add the tomato mixture to the corn & cook until warm *** i cooked it until the tomatoes were really soft..
9. Add the fresh basil to the gnocchi .
10. Serve with Parmesan

Enjoy!