Spinach Ricotta and Parmesan Gnocchi

Spinach Ricotta and Parmesan Gnocchi

I’ve made Spinach Ricotta and Parmesan Gnocchi several times before. It’s a recipe from our Meat Free Monday Cookbook and it’s delicious.  It works with the kids, so I’m happy!  This recipe is a lighter alternative to the regular potato gnocchi – which I do love so much!

Amaranth

This time, however, instead of using regular baby spinach or frozen spinach like I normally do, I experimented with a bunch of fresh Chinese Purple Spinach instead, which I discovered on arriving home was in fact Amaranth leaves.  Amaranth is classed as a herb. Both the seeds and the leaf are edible. The seeds, like that of quinoa, are high in protein and taste similar to true grains grown from grass seeds.  I use amaranth seed in my granola recipe here.  

Not knowing much about Amaranth I did some research:

Blue or Purple vegetable contain phytochemicals, like anthocyanins and phenolics. Both of these phytochemicals are powerful antioxidants and are being studied for their potential to reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease and slowing down the aging process.

1 serving = 30 g (250 mL)

• Very high in Vitamin K (421% Recommended Daily Intake per serving)
• Source of Vitamin C (21% Recommended Daily Intake per serving)
• Source of calcium (6% Recommended Daily Intake per serving)
• Source of magnesium (6% Recommended Daily Intake per serving)
• Source of iron (5% Recommended Daily Intake per serving)
• Fat-free (0.1 g per serving)

 See more at: Haflyourplate.ca

Spinach Ricotta and Parmesan Gnocchi

The purple leaves bleed on wilting and the red dye oozes out quite a lot.  If you don’t like the resulting colour then feel free to use regular green spinach. 

Method:

• Tip the washed and drained spinach leaves into a large pan over a medium heat and cook until the leaves are wilted and tender. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle, then squeeze the spinach between your hands to remove as much water / red juice as possible.

• Melt the butter in a sauté pan, add a quarter of the chopped onion and cook over a medium heat until tender but not coloured. Add the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.  Once cooked I like to blend with a stick blender to get a paste rather than just chopped leaves.
• Tip the blended leaves and onion into a bowl, season with freshly grated nutmeg, salt and black pepper, and let cool slightly.  Add the ricotta, Parmesan, plain flour and egg yolks to the mixture and mix until smooth. Cover and chill the mixture for a couple of hours to firm up.
• Whilst the ricotta and spinach mix chills in the fridge prepare the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the remaining onion and cook until soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the tinned tomatoes, caster sugar and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat for about 7 minutes until slightly thickened. Once cooked add the chopped basil.
• Lightly dust the work surface with a little plain flour and roll the spinach mixture into a log about 3cm in diameter. Cut the log into 3cm pillows or gnocchi and lay on a baking tray that has been lightly dusted with plain flour.

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for about 3 minutes until tender and the gnocchi float to the surface of the water.
• Drain the gnocchi and serve in bowls with the tomato sauce, scattered with grated Parmesan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
• Quite an irregular colour I must admit, they almost look like chocolate biscuits!

• You can freeze the Gnocchi at this stage if you like.  Freeze flat on trays like this then transfer to ziplock bags once hard.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for about 3 minutes until tender and the gnocchi float to the surface of the water.
• Drain the gnocchi and serve in bowls with the tomato sauce, scattered with grated Parmesan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

 Spinach Ricotta and Parmesan Gnocchi

Despite the dubious colour, the Spinach, Ricotta and Parmesan Gnocchi were light and fluffy as they have been previously.  It did get a few raised eyebrows at the dinner table but they all got eaten nonetheless!

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Spinach Ricotta and Parmesan Gnocchi

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

This Spinach Ricotta and Parmesan Gnocchi is a recipe from the Meat Free Monday Cookbook and it's delicious. A lighter alternative to the regular potato gnocchi.

Course: Italian

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Servings: 4 -6

Author: Gillian Thompson

Ingredients

For the gnocchi

• 500 g fresh spinach purple or green
• 25 g butter
• 1 onion finely chopped
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 150 g ricotta
• 125 g freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan
• 60 g plain flour plus extra for dusting
• 2 large organic egg yolks
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tomato sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove fat of garlic crushed
• 400 g can tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• freshly grated parmesan
• extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

For the Gnocchi:

1. Wash and drain the spinach.
2. Tip the spinach into a large pan over a medium heat and cook until the leaves are wilted and tender. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle, then squeeze the spinach between your hands to remove as much water as possible and roughly chop.
3. Melt the butter in a sauté pan, add a quarter of the chopped onion and cook over a medium heat until tender but not coloured.
4. Add the chopped spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.
5. Blend in the food processor or with a stick blender.
6. Tip into a bowl, season with freshly grated nutmeg, salt and black pepper and leave to cool.
7. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, plain flour and egg yolks to the mixture and mix until smooth.
8. Cover and chill the mixture for a couple of hours to firm up.

For the Tomato Sauce:

1. Meanwhile prepare the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the remaining onion and cook until soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the canned tomatoes, caster sugar and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat for about 7 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the chopped basil.
2. Lightly dust the work surface with a little plain flour and roll the spinach mixture into a log about 3cm in diameter.
3. Cut the log into 3cm pillows or gnocchi and lay on a baking tray that has been lightly dusted with plain flour. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
4. Add the gnocchi and cook for about 3 minutes until tender and the gnocchi float to the surface of the water. Drain the gnocchi and serve in bowls with the tomato sauce, scattered with grated Parmesan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.