The Ricotta and Radicchio Gnocchi are an easy-to-prepare first course, delicate and flavorful. Soft to the bite, with a bold taste thanks to the radicchio yet delicate at the same time, these gnocchi are very easy to make and delicious. The key is to follow some simple rules that will ensure gnocchi with the right consistency, neither too hard nor too soft. In fact, just drain the ricotta well from its whey and squeeze the radicchio very well after cooking it. This way, we won’t need too much flour to get compact and soft gnocchi.
The preparation is very simple: we chop the radicchio and blanch it in acidulated water with vinegar. We drain it and squeeze it very well. In a bowl, we combine one egg, ricotta, 1/2 cup flour, radicchio, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt. Mix everything well and form balls that we roll in the remaining flour. Cook the gnocchi a few at a time in boiling water for a few minutes until they rise to the surface, then season them by sautéing with butter and sage.
Just like the eggless ricotta gnocchi without potatoes, they are perfect for lunch and dinner on any winter day, just give them a try.
Also discover:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients to prepare Ricotta and Radicchio Gnocchi
- 9 oz ricotta
- 7 oz radicchio
- 5 oz all-purpose flour
- 1.75 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- salt
- 3.5 oz butter
- sage
Tools to prepare Ricotta and Radicchio Gnocchi
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot
- 2 Stovetop
- 1 Colander
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Fork
- 1 Pan
Steps to prepare Ricotta and Radicchio Gnocchi
Prepare the ricotta and radicchio gnocchi by first dealing with the radicchio: wash the radicchio, removing the most damaged outer leaves, divide it in half, and chop it.
Bring plenty of water to a boil in which you have diluted a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and cook the radicchio for 3-4 minutes.
Drain it well, rinse under cold water, and squeeze well to remove all the water.
In a bowl, crack the egg and beat it with a fork.
Add 1/2 cup of flour, ricotta, radicchio, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt.
Combine the ingredients first with a fork, then knead until you get a homogeneous dough.
Form balls from the dough and roll them in the remaining flour.
Cook the ricotta and radicchio gnocchi a few at a time for about 4-5 minutes in plenty of salted boiling water and drain them.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan and add the well-washed sage leaves.
Add the ricotta and radicchio gnocchi and sauté them for a few minutes to perfectly season them. Rotate the pan to avoid breaking them.
Serve the ricotta and radicchio gnocchi hot.
Simo and Cicci recommend
It is preferable to consume the ricotta and radicchio gnocchi as soon as they are ready, or you can store them in the fridge for a maximum of one day. You can also freeze them for up to a month and then cook them still frozen.
You can replace cow’s milk ricotta with sheep’s milk ricotta for a stronger flavor.
You can also dress the ricotta and radicchio gnocchi with tomato sauce instead of the classic butter and sage seasoning.
Squeeze the radicchio very well once cooked and let the ricotta drain its whey for at least a couple of hours before preparation. This way, the ricotta and radicchio mixture will not require large amounts of flour.
If the dough doesn’t seem homogeneous enough, add a little flour at a time, not overdoing it, or you risk obtaining gnocchi that are harder than necessary.
