Ricotta Gnocchi with Pesto

The South of France seemed like an unlikely place to find the most delicious, pillowy ricotta gnocchi, but indeed that is where we found it--at L'Atelier du Port in Nice. The words farm-to-table do not exist there because everything is fresh from the farm and prepared daily. The baskets of fresh (non-GMO) produce arrive in their natural, disfigured state and taste quite different than the sitting-on-the-shelves-for-weeks but perfectly symmetrical counterparts in the US.

Ricotta Gnocchi in this recipe is gluten-free and I've used cassava flour--which is  naturally, slightly gummy  and adds a potato-like consistency holding the delicate pillow together. 

Once the batter is complete you could spoon out dumpling-like drops into a pot of salted boiling water or pipe them out for a more even look. 

Time: 1 hour
Servings: Four servings
​Level: Easy

Print recipe!

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound, whole milk ricotta (strained overnight)
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ¾ cup cassava flour
• pinch of salt 
• pinch of ground black pepper

 
Pesto

• 2 cups basil leaves (can substitute spinach, kale, carrot tops)
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (can substitute walnuts or macadamia nuts)
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• pinch of black pepper

PREPARATION

1. In a large mixing bowl, whip strained ricotta, eggs, and Parmesan cheese. Add saltand pepper.
2. Add in cassava flour and mix until incorporated. 
3. Place the ricotta mixture in a piping bag with a large tip. 
4. Pipe out a several straight line on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a butter knife to score the mixture, about every inch. 
5. Place piped and scored gnocchi mixture into the freezer until frozen (about 20 minutes) ready to boil.
6. Make pesto by placing basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan, salt, andpepper into a mini chopper and pulse into well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt. 
8. Remove the gnocchi from the freezer and break apart the pieces using a knife. 
9. Boil the gnocchi for 4 minutes. Toss with pesto. Top with additional grated Parmesan if desired.