Gnocchi – But Not Really? Testing Another Obscure Italian Recipe
Welcome to the seventeenth instalment of my series where I test out recipes from an obscure 1990s Italian cookbook. This time, I tried another dish from the ‘Gnocchi and Polenta’ section, Spinach Gnocchi (Gnocchi di Spinaci):
Despite the book’s claim, this dish seems far removed from the gnocchi I know. There was no trace of flour, semolina, or potato to be found in the ingredients list, and when I investigated online to see if there were any similar versions, I found nothing…
Which is precisely why I was suspicious going into this recipe – seeing an absence of these essential gnocchi ingredients, I wondered how on earth they would stay together. Ricotta, spinach, and egg – all wet ingredients which don’t provide much structure or stability.
I was honestly having visions of these turning into mush as I boiled them – and having to post about another disaster – but to my relief, they successfully remained intact. Although, to reiterate, they’re definitely not the kind of gnocchi I’m familiar with; the omelette-like texture reminding more of a mini frittata than a piece of gnocchi. I suppose they belong in a mysterious category of their own, of which I haven’t quite been able to figure out yet – open to any suggestions in the comments! For now, I’m just going to call them: ‘Spinach and Ricotta Bites’.
And the recipe title isn’t the only thing I changed:
The recipe suggested using 8 spinach leaves – I’m not sure where one is supposed to find gigantic spinach leaves, but I just decided to go with a standard 125g packet. I also adjusted the cooking method slightly and made sure to leave the spinach to cool afterwards so I didn’t end up with scrambled eggs!
It’s also worth mentioning that you should be incredibly delicate when handling the dumplings – the lack of flour and potato means they are very easy to crush or flatten if you aren’t careful.
Finally, I halved the quantities of butter and parmesan – the taste was still delicious.
BOOK RECIPE RATING: 7/10
Apart from the slightly misleading title, this recipe was still much more reliable than previous instalments. A little bit of extra effort in the kitchen is required, but I think it’s worth it for the end result – a light texture with a rich flavour, thanks to the addition of parmesan and nutmeg. I suggest you give my revised version a go:
Spinach and Ricotta Bites
Ingredients
- 25 g butter melted, plus extra to grease
- 125 g fresh spinach washed
- 250 g ricotta cheese drained
- 40 g parmesan cheese grated, plus extra to top
- 1 egg
- 25-50 g plain flour to coat
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Generously grease a 26x20cm roasting tin with butter and set aside.
- Wash and dry the spinach while you bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the spinach, cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Leave to cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain the spinach and squeeze to remove the excess liquid. Allow to cool before chopping finely [see notes]
- Combine the prepared spinach, ricotta, parmesan, egg, nutmeg, and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Gently shape the mixture into balls or egg-like shapes, each about a dessertspoonful in size [see notes]. Roll gently in the flour.
- Preheat the grill and bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Carefully drop in a few dumplings into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the dumplings rise to the surface.
- Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and arrange in the prepared roasting tin. Repeat the process in batches with the remaining dumplings.
- Pour the melted butter over the cooked dumplings and grate over some extra parmesan. Season the top with some more salt and pepper and place under the hot grill for a few minutes, or until the cheese has turned a lovely golden brown.
- This meal is a great accompaniment to a whole host of dishes – sautéed vegetables, salad, or grilled meat – get creative!
Notes
- If you don’t allow the spinach to cool, there’s a high chance you’ll end up with scrambled eggs!
- You should be incredibly delicate when handling the dumplings – the lack of flour and potato means they are very easy to crush or flatten.
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