Gnocchi Cacio e Pepe
Simple yet indulgent, this Gnocchi Cacio e Pepe is a dish that proves you don’t need a long list of ingredients to create something truly memorable. Pillowy-soft ricotta gnocchi is tossed in a creamy, peppery Pecorino Romano sauce, it’s the kind of comfort food that you can serve all year round.
Ingredients
- 250 grams ricotta cheese
- 150 grams 00 flour
- 1 egg
- 100 grams Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Place ricotta to bowl. (NOTE 1)
- Add 3 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano and combine. Add half of 00 flour and combine, then add an egg and combine. Add remaining 00 flour and combine. Transfer onto your counter and knead with your hands until you have a uniform ball.
- Put water on the stove and bring to a boil. No need to add salt, the cheese is salty enough.
- Flour your counter and roll out dough, until about ½ inch thick.
- Cut dough into strips of about 1 inch wide. Use a knife or a dough cutter.
- Roll strips into ropes and cut pillows out of it. Sprinkle with flour and transfer to baking dish, lined with parchment paper.
- Add gnocchi to the boiling water and wait until the pillows float to surface.
- Take a little bit of gnocchi water out of pan and mix with the grated Pecorino Romano cheese and add some ground black pepper. You need to end up with a paste, not a sauce.
- Place a skillet on medium-low heat and roast freshly ground black pepper for a minute or so. (NOTE 2)
- Add a cup of gnocchi water to skillet and add the cooked (floating) gnocchi, using a slotted spoon. Cook until half water is evaporated. Take the skillet off the heat and add the Pecorino paste. Stir until you have a silky cheese sauce.
Notes
- Most readily available ricotta comes in tubs and are relatively watery, so you will need to get most of the moisture out in order for the gnocchi to stay together. Use kitchen towels to pat dry the ricotta cheese.
- How much black pepper is hard to say, as it so very much depend on what you like. So, I would start with a limited quantity and add more later if you think it's not enough and make a mental note how much to roast next time.
Nutrition
Calories: 715kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 40gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 738mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1g