Ricotta & Green Onion Gnocchi

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Molly O'Neill is our Food Editor. She is the former food columnist for The New York Times Magazine. O'Neill is the author of three cookbooks, including the best-selling New York Cookbook (Workman Publishing, 1992), A Well Seasoned Appetite (Penguin, 1997), and The Pleasure of Your Company (Viking, 1997). She was the host of the PBS series Great Food, and edited the critically acclaimed anthology American Food Writing (Library of America, 2007). Her latest work, Mostly True: A Memoir of Family, Food, and Baseball (Scribner, 2006), recounts her childhood of growing up in a Major-League baseball family.

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by Molly O'Neill

“My grandchildren and my grown-up children love to get messy while making gnocchi,” says Jesse Cool, a chef and passionate gardener from Palo Alto, Calif. When green onions begin sprouting in her garden or showing up at her local farmers market, she gathers her family to make this gnocchi. The gnocchi are very flavorful alone and need just a drizzle of melted butter or olive oil and a pinch of salt and a bit of freshly ground pepper. They are also delicious with a little organic tomato sauce, homemade or from a can.

15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, minced fine
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 - 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Butter, olive oil, or prepared organic tomato sauce

1. To drain the ricotta, place it in a sieve over a bowl for 15 to 30 minutes. Discard the liquid.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a medium bowl, combine the drained ricotta, egg, salt, pepper, green onion, and Asiago or Parmesan cheese. Gradually add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, using your hands to mix. Add just enough flour so that the dough holds together.

3. To test the dough, roll 1 teaspoon into a ball on a floured surface. Drop it into the boiling water. If the piece falls apart, add more flour to the dough, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough forms a ball. Repeat the cooking test until the gnocchi holds together and floats to the surface.

4. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. On a generously floured board, using your hands, roll each section into a rope about 1 inch in diameter. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces and slightly indent with a fork. Thoroughly cover with flour and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

5. Drop the gnocchi into boiling water. Stir gently to prevent sticking. When the gnocchi float to the top, they are cooked. To serve, toss with butter, olive oil or prepared tomato sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Makes 4 servings.