by Chef Craig Levy, Chef-Owner of Rocca in Glen Rock
Levy’s go-to cold-weather gnocchi is also very simple to prepare. After removing the casing, render sweet Italian sausage and then crumble it into marinara sauce. Toss gnocchi in the sauce to lightly coat and serve with a topping of Grana Padano.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds Calabro whole-milk ricotta
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 6 tablespoons grated grana Padano cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive or vegetable oil
- 4 cloves organic garlic, sliced
- ½ pint organic yellow grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup white wine, or as desired
- ½ cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make it vegetarian), or as desired
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 to 3 ears organic corn, shucked, seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, and lightly charred on the grill
- 1 small bunch organic basil, chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
Instructions
Ricotta Gnocchi:
Fold all Ingredients together until just combined.
Take a large spoonful of the mixture and turn it out on a floured surface, Hand roll to form a one-inch-wide tube; sprinkle the tube with flour; and cut into ½-inch pieces, Repeat with the remaining dough, Place pieces on a floured sheet tray Place tray in the freezer until gnocchi are frozen through.
Charred Corn and Tomato Sauce:
In a hot pan with olive or vegetable oil, sauté the sliced garlic until lightly browned. Add the grape tomatoes and cook for another minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add the chicken or vegetable stock and unsalted butter: Remove the corn kernels from the cob(s), add them to the pan and simmer together for another minute.
Basil Gremolata:
Combine all the Ingredients In a small bowl.
To finish: Bring a large pot of water to a strong boil. Place the gnocchi directly from the freezer into the boiling water. Cook until they float (this will only take a minute or two), remove with a skimmer and put them directly into the pan of simmering sauce Toss gently to coat with the sauce, Reduce for a minute and season with salt and pepper to taste, Plate and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of grana Padano. Top with a tablespoon of gremolata.
