Homemade ricotta gnocchi broccoli cream sauce

Method11 steps · about 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix the ricotta (400 g), three eggs, 20 g dough Parmesan, dough salt and black pepper in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Keep the dough flour separate for now.

   Uses 400 g ricotta · 3 large eggs · 20 g Parmesan, grated for the gnocchi dough · Salt, to season the ricotta dough · Black pepper, to season the ricotta dough

2. 2

   Step 2: Gradually fold some of the 250–300 g dough flour into the ricotta mixture until a soft dough starts to form. Add it in small amounts, rather than adding the whole range at once.

   Uses ricotta, egg and Parmesan mixture · Part of the 250–300 g dough flour, added gradually

3. 3

   Step 3: Check the soft dough. If it is still too sticky to handle, fold in more of the remaining dough flour, only as needed. Wetter ricotta or larger eggs can require more; stop when the dough is soft and easy to handle.

   Uses soft ricotta dough · More of the remaining dough flour, only as needed

4. 4

   Step 4: Dust the work surface with extra flour and tip out the dough. Shape it into a rough rectangular log and cut it in half. Dust the knife before cutting and lightly dust the cut edges as needed.

   Uses finished soft ricotta dough · Extra flour, as needed to dust the surface, knife and gnocchi

5. 5

   Step 5: Cut each prepared half in half again to make four pieces. Gently roll each into a long log about ½–1 inch thick, using a little extra dusting flour if it sticks.

   Uses two halves of ricotta dough · Extra flour, as needed to dust the surface, knife and gnocchi

6. 6

   Step 6: Cut the four rolled logs into small-to-medium gnocchi and set them aside on a lightly flour-dusted board.

   Uses four rolled ricotta dough logs · Extra flour, as needed to dust the surface, knife and gnocchi

7. 7

   Step 7: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with cooking-water salt. Remove the broccoli (1 small)’s thick stalk and blanch the florets for 1 minute. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping the same water boiling for the gnocchi.

   Blanch broccoli florets · 1 minUses Water, enough to blanch broccoli and then boil the gnocchi · Salt, as needed for the broccoli and gnocchi pot · 1 small broccoli head, thick stalk removed

8. 8

   Step 8: Finely chop the garlic (2) and briefly fry it in the ½ tbsp olive oil in a large pan without browning. Roughly chop the blanched broccoli florets and add them to the garlic.

   Uses 2 garlic cloves · ½ tbsp olive oil · blanched broccoli florets

9. 9

   Step 9: Fry the garlic-broccoli mixture for 30–60 seconds, then add the 300 ml heavy cream, pinch of nutmeg and some sauce salt and pepper. At the same time, put the shaped ricotta gnocchi into the boiling salted water retained from blanching.

   Fry broccoli mixture before cream is added · 1 minUses garlic and chopped blanched broccoli · 300 ml heavy cream (UK double cream) · 1 pinch ground nutmeg · Some sauce salt, to taste · Some sauce pepper, to taste · shaped uncooked ricotta gnocchi · boiling salted cooking water

10. 10

    Step 10: Bring the cream sauce to a boil, then stir in the 50 g sauce Parmesan and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. When the gnocchi float and are cooked through, lift them from their pot with a slotted spoon into the sauce.

    Uses broccoli cream sauce and boiling gnocchi · 50 g Parmesan, grated for the broccoli sauce

11. 11

    Step 11: Toss the cooked gnocchi gently in the broccoli cream sauce. Taste and add more sauce salt or pepper only if needed, then serve immediately as six generous or eight smaller portions.

    Uses cooked ricotta gnocchi in broccoli cream sauce · Extra sauce salt only if needed · Extra sauce pepper only if needed