Ricotta Chive Gnocchi with Browned Butter Sauce

I love potato gnocchi. It’s one of my favorite meals, and something that I hardly ever pass up when I see it on the menu at a restaurant. I’ve had ricotta gnocchi at a restaurant one time, and I’ve been wanting to make it at home ever since, so I finally gave it a try this past weekend. I loved it! Ricotta gnocchi dough has a very soft and light texture and is very different than potato gnocchi dough,  resulting in gnocchi that are much more like dumplings than pasta. They almost have the texture of mashed potatoes on the inside when they’re finished. While I don’t think that these are nearly as heavenly as potato gnocchi, I still think that they’re delicious. They’re just different :) The gnocchi have a really great, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the flavor from the cheese, the fresh chives, and the drizzle of browned butter is so rich and wonderful. If you haven’t had gnocchi before, I’d suggest making both kinds to compare them and see which kind you like better. I’m a potato gnocchi girl through and through, but I’ll definitely be making these again, too. Delicious!

Ricotta Chive Gnocchi with Browned Butter Sauce
Source: Not Quite Nigella

8-9 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmegiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus 1/4 cup extra for sprinkling
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped, plus extra for sprinkling on top
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter

1. Grease a  baking dish, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a low boil, making sure that the water is not heavily boiling, or it will break apart the gnocchi as they cook.

2. Mix the ricotta, Parmegiano Reggiano, flour, and egg in a bowl. Add the chives, and season with salt and pepper. Shape the dough into gnocchi shapes between two teaspoons.

3. As you make the gnocchi, drop them into the pot of boiling water. Let the gnocchi cook until they float to the top of the pan, which will only take a minute or two. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the pot, and place them in the baking dish. Make sure not to crowd the pot, only cooking a few gnocchi at at time. This recipe will make 16-18 gnocchi.

4. Top the gnocchi with the extra Parmegiano Reggiano.  Bake the gnocchi for 15-20 minutes, or until the gnocchi are slightly crispy on top.

5. When the gnocchi are almost done baking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat, and then add the butter. It will foam up and become browned very quickly.

6.Serve the gnocchi drizzled with the browned butter and sprinkled with chives.