Gluten Free Zucchini Ricotta Gnocchi
Ingredients
For the gnocchi
1 1/2 cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter), plus more for shaping
½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
1 egg (50g, weighed out of shell), beaten
1 pound (16 ounces) part-skim or whole milk ricotta cheese, drained of excess liquid (I use a fine mesh strainer placed above a large bowl)
3 cups zucchini and yellow squash, grated and squeezed dry of all liquid (375 g)* (from about 3 medium zucchini/squash)
For serving
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh or dried herbs
*I squeeze the liquid out of grated zucchini and squash by placing it, about 1/4 cup at a time, in a tea towel, rolling up the towel and twisting it to squeeze out all of the liquid. You can use whatever combination of zucchini and yellow squash you would like, or all one or the other.
Instructions
Make the dough. In the bowl of food processor fitted with the steel blade, place all of the gnocchi ingredients in the order in which they are listed. Pulse until the mixture begins to come together. Turn the food processor on high and process until the mixture is thick and well-combined. Turn it out onto a lightly floured flat surface, sprinkle lightly with more flour, and pat into a disk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.
Shape the dough. Once the dough has chilled, remove the plastic wrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut off pieces of dough and roll them into rounds that are about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, sprinkling lightly with more flour to prevent sticking. Using the fingers of both hands and pushing away from your body, roll each round into a rope of dough about 6-inches long, and about 3/4-inch in diameter. Be careful not to push down on the dough, but rather roll it out. Sprinkle lightly with additional flour as necessary. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the ropes of dough into 1-inch long pieces. Mark the top of each piece with the floured tines of a fork to make ridges. Continue to flour the tines of the fork as necessary to prevent sticking.
To cook the gnocchi, drop them in batches in generously salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. The gnocchi will float after they have been boiling for about 2 minutes. Continue to boil for another minute before removing with a strainer and placing on a plate in a single layer, so they do not stick together. Do not overcook or the gnocchi will begin to fall apart. Drizzle lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. Serve with tomato sauce, and fresh or dried herbs.
Inspired by Closet Cooking. Adapted from the Ricotta Gnocchi recipe on page 128 of my first cookbook, Gluten Free on a Shoestring.