Traci Des Jardin’s Ricotta Gnocchi with Delta Asparagus and Meyer Lemon, as seen on Guy's Ranch Kitchen Season 5.
Recipe courtesy of Traci Des Jardins

Ricotta Gnocchi with Delta Asparagus and Meyer Lemon

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 8 hr 50 min (including time for draining ricotta)
  • Active: 50 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Delicate and fluffy gnocchi pair nicely with spring asparagus and the very California Meyer lemon. With a little spoon wrangling, this is a fun and easy recipe.

Ingredients

Directions

Special equipment:
cheesecloth
  1. Line a colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth, then add the ricotta. Tie the corners shut. Let sit over a bowl so that the liquid can run out, refrigerated, 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Place a large pot of water on the stove; salt as you would for pasta and bring to a boil.
  3. Place the drained ricotta and 1/4 cup Parmesan in a large bowl. Add the eggs and whisk vigorously for a minute or two. Add a pinch of salt, a little pepper, and fold in the flour, a couple tablespoons at a time, just until incorporated.
  4. Turn the water down to a gentle boil, and with two spoons, form the batter into football shapes, then drop directly into the boiling water. (You will have to process the batter in two to three batches as you can cook about 12 gnocchi at a time.) Cook, stirring to flip them over, until the gnocchi float to the top and are firm to the touch, about 2 minutes. The gnocchi are delicate, so gently remove from the water and place on a sheet tray or baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
  5. Peel the ends of the asparagus, then thinly slice. Place 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the asparagus. Sweat until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the zest, chicken stock and butter, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat the gnocchi by carefully adding to the asparagus mixture and let heat for a minute or 2.
  6. Place in a large serving bowl and top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Cook’s Note

This is a quick recipe, but with one exception. The ricotta needs to be drained of excess liquid. To do this properly, it needs to be tied up in cheesecloth and suspended over a bowl overnight.