Black Garlic Ricotta Gnocchi with Stracciatella

Inspired by Lil’ Frankies

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. whole milk ricotta, drained

• 2 egg yolks

• ¾ cup ‘00’ flour

• ¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 2 bulbs black garlic

• 4 tbsp. salted butter

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1 8 oz. ball fresh mozzarella

• 1 pinch salt

Directions:

Black Garlic Sauce & Stracciatella:

1. Carefully peel both bulbs of black garlic and place cloves in a food processor. Add about 2-3 tbsp. of water and blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary. You want the garlic to be a paste or thick sauce-like consistency.

2. For the stracciatella, shred the ball of fresh mozzarella using your hands. Place in a bowl and add about 1/4 cup heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Mix together and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour until it is the consistency you would like. (You may want to add more heavy cream depending on how much mozzarella you’re using; use your judgement!)

Ricotta Gnocchi:

1. To drain the ricotta, wrap the ricotta with a cheese cloth and place over a mesh strainer set on top of a bowl to catch the excess liquids. Let drain for a minimum of 2 hours (the longer the better) and squeeze out all excess liquids.

2. In a mixing bowl, add the drained ricotta, egg yolks, flour, Parmigiano Reggiano and salt. Use hands to mix well.

3. Divide the dough into 4-5 sections and roll out each section into long pieces (about 3/4 in. wide). Cut into tiny pillows with a bench scraper to form the gnocchi.

4. Boil a pot of water, add plenty of salt. Add gnocchi and cook until it floats to the top (2-3 minutes).

5. Melt butter in a pan over low heat (I use 2 tbsp. butter per serving of gnocchi). Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan along with black garlic sauce and toss. Add a few splashes of heavy cream for an extra creamy consistency. Remove from heat, plate and top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stracciatella.