Beet gnocchi

Yesterday was the first day off I'd had in a few days, and I was in a mood to get things done. You know? I started by putting away all our winter clothes, then I rearranged the office and hung some pictures in there--which means our apartment is now officially complete--then I cooked a bunch of stuff. Creme brulee, ice cream, a mustard greens salad, and this beet gnocchi.

I've tried to make potato gnocchi before, but never had much luck. These, however, were delicious. These may become part of my regular rotation. They are a bit filling--I would recommend making small gnocchi, and counting on having leftovers. The beet puree holds them together really well, in addition to being colorful and tasty.

From Food and Wine:

2 pounds medium beets, scrubbed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh ricotta (8 ounces)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Pinch of nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (3 ounces), plus more for serving
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
16 small sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375º. In a 9-inch square baking dish, brush the beets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake the beets for about 1 hour, until tender. Uncover the dish and let the beets cool completely.

Peel the beets and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Transfer the beets to a food processor and puree.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine 1 1/2 cups of the beet puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use) with the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, the 3/4 cup of Parmigiano and 1 tablespoon of salt and mix at low speed until combined. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the side of the bowl. Sprinkle on the 3 cups of flour and mix at low speed until the dough just comes together, about 1 minute.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently just until smooth but still slightly sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper and generously dust with flour. Cut the gnocchi dough into 10 pieces and roll each piece into a 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut the ropes into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer the gnocchi to the prepared baking sheet.

Lightly oil another baking sheet. In a large, deep skillet of simmering salted water, cook one-fourth of the gnocchi until they rise to the surface, then simmer for 1 minute longer, or until they are cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining uncooked gnocchi.

In a very large skillet, toast the chopped walnuts over moderate heat, tossing, until golden and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

Add the butter to the skillet and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sage leaves and cook for 20 seconds, then stir in the lemon juice. Add the gnocchi and cook for 1 minute, tossing gently. Season with salt and transfer the gnocchi to plates. Sprinkle the toasted walnuts on top and serve, passing grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

Spinach and ricotta gnocchi

2 lbs fresh spinach or 1 box frozen, thawed
2 T butter
1 small finely chopped onion
½ c finely chopped proscuitto
1 lb or 1 15 oz container ricotta
1 ½ c plus more flour
1 ½ c parmesan
2 eggs
¼ t nutmeg

Put spinach in a large pot (with nothing else), and cook 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Drain and cool. Squeeze as much water as possible out of the leaves. Finely chop the spinach. Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat, add onion, cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add proscuitto, then spinach. Transfer to large bowl. With a wooden spoon, add in ricotta, 1 ½ cups of flour, 1 cup parmesan, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. The mixture will be soft. Spread additional flour on a dinner plate. Shape the mixture into small balls, roll in flour to coat, and set aside. Bring a large pot of cold water just short of a boil and add salt. Add gnocchi in batches, a few at a time. After they rise to the surface, cook for 1 min more and remove with slotted spoon. Repeat.

Drizzle with a sage butter sauce (1 stick of butter melted in a small saucepan with several sage leaves) and remaining parmesan.

Note: these are even better when made ahead and reheated just before serving. This dish is one of my favorites, and an entertaining staple.

Cost: 2 boxes of frozen spinach run about $1 each, if you catch them on sale. Everything else I buy in bulk; pennies for the onion, flour, and nutmeg, 17 cents each for the eggs, $3 or so for the ricotta, and let's say another $2 for the proscuitto and parmesan. The sage butter sauce is optional, but add another $1 for a stick of butter and some fresh sage. $6.50 or so for the entire batch, which will be big. It'll feed two adults as a main course for at least two, possibly three, meals, and will go much farther as an appetizer.