Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises
Tuscan Restaurant
Serves: 5. Preparation time: 1 hour.
- 12 oz. Italian Ricotta Cheese (Drained)
- ½ C. All Purpose Flour
- 1 Large Egg
- 10 oz. Artichoke Hearts
- 1 C. Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- 2½ oz. Truffle Oil
- 2 oz. Shallots (Chopped)
- 2 oz. Garlic (Chopped)
- 3 oz. Flat Leaf Parsley (Chopped)
- 1 T. Thyme (Minced)
- 1 T. Basil (Minced)
- 1 T. Parsley (Minced)
- 4 T. Butter
- Reserve Some All-Purpose Flour
• In a large bowl, mix ½ cup Flour, 1 Egg and Salt to taste. Add half (6 oz.) of the Ricotta Cheese to the Flour/Egg Mix by hand, start folding the Flour in until slightly stiff. Add the Minced Thyme and Minced Basil. The Dough should be slightly sticky and barely held together by the Flour Mix. Form a ball, dust with Reserve Flour and store in plastic wrap before rolling. Cut the ball into 8 equal pieces. Dust the work surface and the Dough with Reserve Flour and roll each portion into a 1 inch diameter log. Slice the logs into a pillow shapes about ¾ inch long. Form with fork tine marks if desired. This should yield about 40-50 pillows. Roll them in Reserve Flour and store on a floured sheet without stacking them during the next step.
• Boil and salt 2 quarts of water in a pot. Boil the Gnocchis for 2-3 minutes until they are al dente (still soft in the middle).
• Char the Artichoke Hearts on a grill for a few minutes. In a sauté pan on medium heat, melt the Butter with the Truffle Oil. Add the Shallots and Garlic and simmer. Add the sliced Dried Tomatoes and the Charred Artichoke Hearts to the pan. Cook until lightly brown. Add all the Gnocchis to the pan. Add 2 oz. of Water. Stir. When hot, add the Minced Parsley last, remove from the heat. Serve the mixture in 5 small bowls or plates, garnish each with the remainder of the Ricotta Cheese chunks.
"Gnocchi" - Literally, it means Dumpling and is derived from Nocchio meaning "knot in the wood". A "primo piatto" (first course) dish in Italian cuisine and traditionally made with Wheat Flour, Potato and Egg. It's popular in the Lombardy and Tuscan regions of Italy. This recipe is from Celebrity Cruises' Tuscan Restaurant. Used with permission.
