Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi & Ragu
This easy homemade gnocchi recipe is paired with a meaty ragu sauce that is full of flavor and will make the house smell incredible.
Ingredients
For the gnocchi:
- 2 cups ricotta cheese drained
- 2 eggs beaten
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt & fresh pepper
- Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
- Olive oil
For the ragu:
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 large carrot diced
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 pound each of ground veal beef, pork
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons each fresh thyme & rosemary finely chopped
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup Austerity Pinot Noir
- 28 ounce can whole Italian san marzano tomatoes
- Water
- Freshly chopped parsley
- Kosher salt & fresh pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
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Start the ragu by pre-heating a large and wide tall sided pan just above medium heat along with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of pepper. Mix well and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are very soft and have wilted down. Add one more tablespoon of oi, garlic, tomato paste, and cook for 3 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and add veal, beef, and pork. Cook until the ground meats have just cooked through and then add the Austerity Pinot Noir, mix well and cook until almost all the wine has reduced. Squeeze the canned tomatoes to crush them or use a potato masher or blender, and add to the pan. Add ½ cup of water to the tomato tin to remove any leftovers and add that to the pan along with ¾ teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Stir well and bring to simmer, reduce to a slow simmer(medium-low heat) and allow to cook with the lid of for 3 hours. Stir every 20 minutes and add more water if the ragu gets to thick. Check for seasoning halfway, you may need more salt.
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Meanwhile, prepare the gnocchi by beating eggs and adding the first 4 ingredients to a large bowl along with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and a few cracks of fresh pepper. Mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the flour and mix until combined. Put some flour on a work surface and dump out the mixture. Divide the dough into 4-6 pieces and use your hands to roll into long logs about ¾ inch thick, if the dough is too wet, and a little more flour. Using a knife, cut logs into small gnocchi pieces and put on a sheet pan that has some flour on it, set aside. Gnocchi can be made 1 day ahead of time and kept covered in the fridge.
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Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt pasta water so it tastes like the sea and add HALF of the gnocchi to the pot and boil for about 4 minutes, or until they all float to the top aggressively. Meanwhile, pre-heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. As soon as the gnocchi are ready, use a slotted strainer(don’t empty the pot) to transfer them directly to the hot pan, being careful as the oil will splatter. Cook for 3-4 minutes until all sides of the gnocchi are WELL BROWNED. Repeat this process with the remaining gnocchi and save 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
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To sauce the gnocchi, add the browned gnocchi back into the non-stick pan over medium heat and add as much ragu as you like along with ¼ cup of reserved pasta water and some grated parmesan cheese. Cook for 3 minutes, adding enough pasta water to thin the ragu a little bit and make the sauce creamy. You may need t do this in 2 pans. Plate the gnocchi and garnish with fresh chopped parsley, grated cheese, and a drizzle of really god extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!