Douglass Williams’ Ricotta Gnocchi Cacio e Pepe
Ricotta Gnocchi Cacio e Pepe
Photo Credit : Michael PiazzaIn a season five episode of Weekends with Yankee, Amy gets an insider’s tour of Boston with rising chef-owner Douglass Williams of MIDA restaurant, including a stop at One Mighty Mill in Lynn for organic stone-ground flour and The Urban Grape for the perfect bottle of wine to accompany his delicious cacio e pepe gnocchi. Gnocchi are commonly made with potatoes, but Douglass makes the little dumplings with ricotta, Parmesan, flour, and egg, then finishes them with the classic cacio e pepe sauce.
Yield:
6 servingsFor the pasta:
Ingredients
4 cups whole-milk ricotta
2 cups finely grated Parmesan, divided
1 large egg, plus 2 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the cooking water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
First, make the gnocchi: In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, egg and yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth. Add half the flour to the mixture, folding it in gently with a spatula or plastic bench scraper. Add the remaining flour, gently folding until it’s almost fully incorporated. (This should take less than 5 minutes.) Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a loaf about 1 foot long. Divide crosswise into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion with your fingertips into a “rope” about 1/2 inch thick, then cut into individual pieces. Toss the pieces in flour to coat. Transfer to a lightly floured rimmed baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. You’ll want to make the cacio e pepe sauce while the gnocchi cooks so that everything finishes at the same time. Drop the gnocchi into the water and boil until it rises to the surface.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
For the sauce:
Ingredients
1 cup pasta water from boiling the gnocchi
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Freshly grated lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
Set a skillet (12 to 14 inches) over a burner, but don’t turn it on. Add 1 cup water from the pasta pot, pepper, salt, olive oil, butter, and lemon juice. Turn heat to high and wait for the mixture to come to a boil.
Now scoop the gnocchi out of the pot with a strainer or slotted spoon and add it to the pan. Cook the liquid down until it thickens into a sauce, then take the pan off the heat and sprinkle in the remaining 1 cup Parmesan, swirling and gently stirring the sauce until everything is blended. Garnish with lemon zest and serve immediately.