Ricotta Gnocchi with Pea & Mint Puree

I wanted to cook something that celebrated spring! What better than a light and fresh tasting dish which is just so very...spring green?

I have had ricotta gnocchi on my list of things to make for 2 years now. I guess I have a procrastination problem.
A former coworker gave me a recipe for ricotta gnocchi and raved over how easy it was to make. I have since lost the recipe she gave me, but with only 4 ingredients, it was easy to google around and find one quite similar. I succeeded in finding a simple recipe that resembled almost exactly the one she had told me.

All you need is a jar of Ricotta, 3/4 cup flour, an egg, and half a cup of grated parmesan. Combine the ingredients, season with salt, chill for a bit. Then roll into balls.

And plop them into boiling water.

Cook until the gnocchi start to float. Wait an additional minute or two, and then strain from the water.


Then I just had to decide what to serve it with. I decided to go with a puree of peas and fresh mint. My local farmers market hasn't started yet, so I used frozen peas, but I am sure using farm fresh peas would be amazing. Even so, I was happy with the bright and fresh taste that resulted.

The puree has 3 ingredients: peas, fresh mint & milk. I used a hand-blender to combine the ingredients while warming them over a medium flame. I didn't have a recipe I was working with, so I just added milk and peas and mint a little bit at a time until I reached a texture and flavor I was happy with.

Altogether this was such an easy and quick meal to put together! I combined the ingredients for the gnocchi in the morning before work, then set them in a covered bowl to chill in the fridge. I also thawed the frozen peas in the fridge while at work.

The rest of the meal I was able to put together quite quickly, after returning from a short bike ride. I cooked while sharing a glass of wine with 2 of my roommates. My newest roommate, Rob, who is a photographer, agreed to take photos of the process.

Afterwards, he suggested I pose with my finished dish. I was feeling self conscious in front of the camera, so I got my roommate Ashley to pose with me. Comfort in numbers! We had a lot of fun, actually. We couldn't stop laughing.

Yes, we are randomly sitting on a table in the living room in this picture. What?



Photos by Rob Baird