Gnocchi in ricotta cream sauce with truffles is inspired by Spiaggia in Chicago. Our meal there was wonderful and their soft pillowy gnocchi, smothered in heavenly cream sauce with truffles is unforgettable.
Time To Make The Gnocchi
Learning to make gnocchi is not hard, but it is tricky. I studied and read everything I could before my first attempt. One cryptic comment about being a two day process hoodwinked me into resting the dough overnight. That made a sticky mess and ruined my first attempt. Two more tries, testing red and gold potatoes yielded edible gnocchi, but on the fourth I got it right.
I’m going to shepherd you through the process, so you only have to do it once.
Soft, pillowy gnocchi begin with the potatoes. You can use red or gold, but the lightest, most tender gnocchi are made with russets. Reds and golds are too waxy and while they are easy to make gnocchi with, it’s a firmer, chewier bite.
Avoiding Common Problems
Sticky wet or dry and chewy are the two most common failures when making gnocchi. Follow my directions to properly cook and dry the potatoes and work quickly peeling and ricing them. Cold potatoes equal wet and sticky dough. Too much extra flour kneading and rolling the dough makes dry and chewy gnocchi.
About The Shape
The blunt, torpedo cigar shape is my homage to Spiaggia, using their method. A traditional fork rolled gnocchi works equally well.
Making the Cream Sauce
Grate the cheese in a food processor to create the finest powder possible. Pour the cream, ricotta and milk to a deep heavy bottom sauce pot and warm on low heat while stirring to combine. Do not overheat attempting to speed up the process and scorch your sauce!
When it is warm, add the parmesan cheese, stir, salt to taste and blend until it is creamy smooth. Let it cool and transfer to an air-tight container, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Making the Gnocchi
Boil your potatoes with the peel on in well salted water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile mix the flour and salt together, lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside.
Pour out the water, return the pot to the warm stove, cover and steam off the remaining water until your potatoes are very dry, about 3-5 minutes. Pour about half the salted flour onto your clean work surface and reserve the rest. Lightly beat the egg and set aside.
Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces. Rice the potatoes on top of the flour leaving a slight well in the center and pour your egg over the potatoes and flour.
Spread the reserved flour over it, quickly mix with your hands and knead until combined first into a ball, then into a large log.
Note: This shouldn’t take more than three minutes. Don’t overwork your dough or it will become a cold, sticky mess.
Cut off 1/4th of the dough log and roll it into a 3/4 inch diameter rope, then cut the rope into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces.
Gently flatten a piece in your upturned palm with your thumb, then roll it by hand between your palms into a short, blunt torpedo cigar shape about 2 to 2-1/2 inches long. Place them on the pre-floured baking sheet to prevent sticking and repeat the process until all the dough is used.
Rest the gnocchi torpedos for 20 minutes before blanching.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to a fast simmer and prepare a separate large bowl with half ice and half water. Drizzle a separate baking sheet lightly with olive oil.
Working in batches of 15-20, blanch the gnocchi in the simmering water until they float to the top, about 2 minutes. Stir for a moment after placing them in the pot to prevent sticking to the bottom, or each other.
Strain out the gnocchi with a spider and immerse into the ice bath to shock them and stop the cooking, about 30 seconds. Remove, shake off excess water and place them on the oiled baking sheet and gently swirl them to coat with oil. Repeat the process until all the gnocchi are blanched.
Place the gnocchi in an air-tight container and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
Finishing the Gnocchi in Cream Sauce with Truffles
Add a proportional amount of cream sauce and gnocchi to a non-stick sauce pan over medium low heat, stir gently with a spatula and serve when everything is warm/hot, about 10 minutes.
Garnish with shaven black winter truffles and optional additional parmesan.
Gnocchi In Ricotta Cream Sauce With Truffles
Soft, pillowy gnocchi in ricotta cream sauce with shaved trufflegarnish
Ingredients
Ricotta Cream Sauce – 125 Gnocchi
- 16 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 16 oz heavy cream
- 3/4 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 1 TBL whole milk
- Salt to taste
Gnocchi
- 1 lb small russet potatoes (do not use giant baking size)
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 medium size egg – lightly beaten
Gnocchi In Ricotta Cream Sauce with Truffles
- 20– 25 gnocchi per person for a main course, half that as an appetizer
- Proportional serving of ricotta cream sauce
- 1 oz fresh black winter truffle – divided proportionally
Instructions
Ricotta Cream Sauce
- Grate the cheese in a food processor to create the finest powder possible
- Add the cream, ricotta and milk to a deep heavy bottom sauce pot and warm on low heat while stirring to combine. Do not overheat attempting to speed up the process and scorch your sauce!
- When it is warm, add the parmesan cheese and stir well
- Salt to taste, pour into a blender and process until it is creamy smooth
- Let it cool and transfer to an air-tight container, then refrigerate until ready to serve
Making the Dough
- Boil your potatoes with the peel on in well salted water for 30 minutes
- Mix the flour and salt together then lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside
- Pour out the water, return the pot to the warm stove, cover and steam off the remaining water until your potatoes are completely dry, about 3-5 minutes
- Pour about half the salted flour onto your clean work surface and reserve the rest
- Lightly beat the egg and set aside
- Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces and rice the potatoes on top of the flour leaving a slight well in the center, then pour your egg over the potatoes and flour
- Spread the reserved flour over it, quickly mix with your hands and knead until combined first into a ball, then into a log
- Note: This shouldn’t take more than three minutes. Don’t overwork your dough or it will become a cold, sticky mess
Forming the Gnocchi
- Cut off 1/4th of the dough log and roll it into a 3/4 inch diameter rope
- Cut the rope into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces
- Gently flatten a piece in your upturned palm with your thumb, then rollit by hand between your palms into a short, blunt torpedo cigar shape about 2 to 2-1/2 inches long
- Place them on the pre-floured baking sheet to prevent sticking
- Repeat the process until all the dough is used
- Rest the gnocchi torpedos for 20 minutes before blanching
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to a fast simmer
- Prepare a separate large bowl with half ice and half water
- Drizzle a separate baking sheet lightly with olive oil
- Working in batches of 15-20, blanch the gnocchi in the simmering water until they float to the top, about 2 minutes. Stir for a moment after placing them in the pot to prevent sticking to the bottom, or each other
- Strain out the gnocchi with a spider and immerse into the ice bath to shock them and stop the cooking, about 30 seconds
- Remove, shake off excess water and place them on the oiled baking sheet
- Gently swirl them to coat with oil
- Repeat the process until all the gnocchi are blanched
- Place the gnocchi in an air-tight container and refrigerate until you are ready to use
Gnocchi In Ricotta Cream Sauce with Truffles
- Add a proportional amount of cream sauce and gnocchi to a non-stick sauce pan over medium low heat
- Stir gently with a spatula and serve when everything is warm/hot, about 10-15 minutes
- Garnish with extra parmesan – optional
- Garnish with 3-5 shaven slices of black winter truffles