Ricotta Gnocchi with

Prosciutto & Asparagus

Cream Sauce
YIELD: 3-4 servings
TIME: ~1 Hour

INGREDIENTS

Ricotta Gnocchi:

12 oz. Best quality ricotta cheese (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 oz. Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

4-6 oz. All purpose flour (about 1 cup)

1 Whole egg

1 Separated egg yolk

Semolina flour for dusting (all purpose will still work if semolina is unavailable)

Everything Else:

1 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

4 oz. Thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin ribbons

1/4 cup Thinly sliced green garlic or scallions, white and pale green parts only (about 4)

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. Asparagus, cut on a bias into 1- pieces

1 Cup heavy cream

2 oz. Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1 tsp. Grated zest, plus 1 tbsp. juice from 1 lemon, divided

2 tbsp. Minced chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes optional.
INSTRUCTIONS

Gnocchi:
1. Set a large pot of well salted water on high heat.

2. Line a large plate with three layers of paper towels or a clean dish towel. Spread the ricotta out in a flat and thin layer
across the plate with a rubber spatula. Place another triple layer of paper towels or a clean dish towel on top and press
down firmly with the palms to blot out excess moisture. Peel off upper paper towels.

3. Place 8 oz of the pressed ricotta into a large bowl. Use a scale if youre able, and take out any extra ricotta. Typically
the 12 wet ounces equals just about 8 strained ounces after youve pressed it, if you dont have a scale. But for all the
gnocchi ingredients, measuring by weight is ideal, like with baking.

4. Add 1 ounce grated Parmesan, 3-1/2 ounces of flour, whole egg, and egg yolk to bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine mixture with a rubber spatula. It should be sticky but not loose. Add flour a tablespoon at a time if it is still very
moist after kneading with the spatula for 1 minute.

5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and dust the top with flour. Flatten into a 4- to 6-inch disk and cut into
quarters using a bench scraper. Divide each quarter further in half so you have 8 pieces. Working one piece at a time, roll
dough into a log 12 inches long and 3/4-inch wide, dusting as needed. You should end up with 8 long, skinny logs.

6. Using your bench scraper, cut each log into 8 to 10 gnocchi. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted in
semolina flour. Shake to lightly coat gnocchi and prevent sticking.

7. When pot of water is boiling, add gnocchi. Boil until all have floated to the top and remained at the top for about 30
seconds. Should take 3-5 minutes total. Remove gnocchi to strain.

Everything Else:
8. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or slope-sided saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add prosciutto and
cook, stirring, until mostly crisp, about 2 minutes.

9. Add scallions and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and
cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add asparagus and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until asparagus is
just starting to turn tender, about 2 minutes.

10. Add heavy cream and 1 ounce of grated parmesan. Cook, stirring, until sauce begins to thicken and coats the
asparagus, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with a generous amount of black pepper, salt as required, and red pepper
flakes if desired.

11. Add in lemon juice, half of lemon zest, and the chives and mix well. Use a little of the hot starchy pasta water to thin
the sauce to your desired consistency, if its gotten too thick.

12. Toss the finished sauce and veggies with gnocchi in the pan (or large bowl if pan is too small) and serve immediately,
topping with the remaining cheese, lemon zest and olive oil.

NOTES
- Best quality ricotta refers to either homemade, or store-bought ones that only contain 2 or 3 ingredients: milk, salt, and an acid of some sort like
vinegar or citrus. Many store-bought ricottas have extra stabilizers and other ingredients that wont work in this recipe. If you cant find good ricotta, you
can use cottage cheese, just make sure the liquid is squeezed out well.
- Ricotta gnocchi can be frozen, and cooked right from frozen in the future for convenience. Theyll just take slightly longer before theyre ready to float to
the surface and be finished.
- Ricotta gnocchi can also be served with just butter or oil and fresh herbs, our your favorite pesto or pasta sauce of any kind. They should be fine
replacing traditional potato gnocchi in any dish.
- Substitute asparagus with other fresh, seasonal, toothsome vegetables, or a medley veggies. Avoid adding excess moisture. Experiment. Have fun!