Gluten Free Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
Serves: 4
These dumplings are made with ricotta cheese making them a higher protein version of the more traditional potato or polenta versions. The use of potato flour makes them a gluten free option.
Ingredients
Gnocchi:
500 grams ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic - crushed or finely minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup rice flour
extra rice flour for rolling
Extra basil leaves and grated parmesan to serve
Olive & Tomato Sauce:
4 tablespoons olive oil
800 gram jar tomato passata (or 800 grams fresh cherry tomatoes in season or 1 x 400 gram jar passata and 1 x 400 gram tin of cherry or chopped tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic- sliced thinly
12 pitted and sliced black olives
chilli flakes - optional
A few basil leaves - finely sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Method
Dumplings:
Line a baking tray with baking paper
In a large bowl mix together the ricotta, eggs, parmesan and garlic.
Sift the rice and potato flours over the wet mixture and combine.
Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper
The mixture will combine to become a firm paste.
Dust working surface lightly with extra rice flour
Portion the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece separately into a long sausage shape about 4cm thick.
Cut each sausage shaped piece of dough into 1cm slices
The knife slicing through the dough will create a slight curve on the cut edge but if you’d like it a little more pronounced to help catch the sauce then squeeze each piece gently between your fingers on the non-cut edges
Lay in a single layer on a baking tray and set aside until ready to cook (if you’ve done this more than about an hour in advance of when you want to cook them you will need to cover the dumplings with a recyclable cover (gladwrap substitute) or slightly moistened handee towel and teatowel to prevent them from drying out
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil to cook the dumplings
Gently add the dumplings to the boiling water
Wait until they rise to the surface and then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes
Drain the dumplings with a slotted spoon and add them to the tomato sauce
Sauce:
Put the passata, tomatoes and basil in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and sugar and mix well
Put the oil, garlic and chilli, if using, in a pan and slowly increase the heat to medium so that the garlic begins to colour
Remove from the heat and add the tomato mixture - if you don’t and you add the tomatoes they will spit everywhere, and trust me, they are hot and make a mess!)
Add the olives
Gently heat the mixture for about 4-5 minutes until warmed and bubbling gently
Mix the gnocchi thoroughly through the sauce and serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese and basil leaves to garnish.
Surplus uncooked gnocchi can be placed on a baking paper lined tray and frozen. Once frozen store in zip lock bags or airtight containers in freezer. Can be made free flow by keeping layers separate with baking paper.
