Ricotta and Egg Gnocchi with Olives, Capers, and Tomato Sauce

These soft gnocchi from Tuscany are the ultimate version of the kind most commonly served at Italian-American restaurants. The dish is amped up with briny chopped capers and green olives. Featured in: All the Gnocchi.

Find this recipe in our cookbook, SAVEUR: Italian Comfort Food

  • Serves

    serves 6

Ingredients

For the Gnocchi

  • 2 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1 23 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 7 tbsp. homemade ricotta or store-bought whole-milk ricotta
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 eggs

For the Sauce

  • 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 12 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 34 cup pitted green Castelvetrano or Gaeta olives, pitted and halved
  • 13 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
  • 14 cup capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp. roughly chopped wild or regular oregano

Instructions

Step 1

Make the gnocchi: Boil potatoes in a 4-qt. saucepan of water. Reduce heat to medium-high; simmer until potatoes are tender, 25–30 minutes, and drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl. Add flour, ricotta, salt, and eggs; using your hands, mix until a smooth dough forms. If dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tbsp. at a time, as needed.

Step 2

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; quarter dough. Working with one-quarter dough at a time, use your hands to roll dough into a 3⁄4"-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 1" gnocchi; transfer to a flour-dusted, parchment paper—lined baking sheet. Separate gnocchi to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap; chill until ready to cook.

Step 3

Make the sauce and serve: Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium. Cook chile flakes, garlic, bay leaf, onion, and rosemary until vegetables are soft, 6–8 minutes. Add butter, tomatoes, and salt; simmer until thickened, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Discard bay leaf and rosemary; keep sauce warm. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a simmer over medium-high. Cook gnocchi, all at once, until they float, 2–3 minutes. Stir olives, pecorino, capers, and oregano into sauce. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to sauce; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Divide gnocchi between serving bowls; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pecorino.
  1. Make the gnocchi: Boil potatoes in a 4-qt. saucepan of water. Reduce heat to medium-high; simmer until potatoes are tender, 25–30 minutes, and drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl. Add flour, ricotta, salt, and eggs; using your hands, mix until a smooth dough forms. If dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tbsp. at a time, as needed.
  2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; quarter dough. Working with one-quarter dough at a time, use your hands to roll dough into a 3⁄4"-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 1" gnocchi; transfer to a flour-dusted, parchment paper—lined baking sheet. Separate gnocchi to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap; chill until ready to cook.
  3. Make the sauce and serve: Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium. Cook chile flakes, garlic, bay leaf, onion, and rosemary until vegetables are soft, 6–8 minutes. Add butter, tomatoes, and salt; simmer until thickened, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Discard bay leaf and rosemary; keep sauce warm. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a simmer over medium-high. Cook gnocchi, all at once, until they float, 2–3 minutes. Stir olives, pecorino, capers, and oregano into sauce. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to sauce; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Divide gnocchi between serving bowls; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pecorino.
Recipes

Ricotta and Egg Gnocchi with Olives, Capers, and Tomato Sauce

  • Serves

    serves 6

Ricotta and Egg Gnocchi with Olives, Capers, and Tomato Sauce
CON POULOS

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on March 14, 2015

These soft gnocchi from Tuscany are the ultimate version of the kind most commonly served at Italian-American restaurants. The dish is amped up with briny chopped capers and green olives. Featured in: All the Gnocchi.

Find this recipe in our cookbook, SAVEUR: Italian Comfort Food

Ingredients

For the Gnocchi

  • 2 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1 23 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 7 tbsp. homemade ricotta or store-bought whole-milk ricotta
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 eggs

For the Sauce

  • 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 12 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 34 cup pitted green Castelvetrano or Gaeta olives, pitted and halved
  • 13 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
  • 14 cup capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp. roughly chopped wild or regular oregano

Instructions

Step 1

Make the gnocchi: Boil potatoes in a 4-qt. saucepan of water. Reduce heat to medium-high; simmer until potatoes are tender, 25–30 minutes, and drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl. Add flour, ricotta, salt, and eggs; using your hands, mix until a smooth dough forms. If dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tbsp. at a time, as needed.

Step 2

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; quarter dough. Working with one-quarter dough at a time, use your hands to roll dough into a 3⁄4"-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 1" gnocchi; transfer to a flour-dusted, parchment paper—lined baking sheet. Separate gnocchi to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap; chill until ready to cook.

Step 3

Make the sauce and serve: Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium. Cook chile flakes, garlic, bay leaf, onion, and rosemary until vegetables are soft, 6–8 minutes. Add butter, tomatoes, and salt; simmer until thickened, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Discard bay leaf and rosemary; keep sauce warm. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a simmer over medium-high. Cook gnocchi, all at once, until they float, 2–3 minutes. Stir olives, pecorino, capers, and oregano into sauce. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to sauce; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Divide gnocchi between serving bowls; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pecorino.
  1. Make the gnocchi: Boil potatoes in a 4-qt. saucepan of water. Reduce heat to medium-high; simmer until potatoes are tender, 25–30 minutes, and drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl. Add flour, ricotta, salt, and eggs; using your hands, mix until a smooth dough forms. If dough is sticky, add more flour, 1 tbsp. at a time, as needed.
  2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; quarter dough. Working with one-quarter dough at a time, use your hands to roll dough into a 3⁄4"-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 1" gnocchi; transfer to a flour-dusted, parchment paper—lined baking sheet. Separate gnocchi to prevent sticking. Cover with plastic wrap; chill until ready to cook.
  3. Make the sauce and serve: Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium. Cook chile flakes, garlic, bay leaf, onion, and rosemary until vegetables are soft, 6–8 minutes. Add butter, tomatoes, and salt; simmer until thickened, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Discard bay leaf and rosemary; keep sauce warm. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a simmer over medium-high. Cook gnocchi, all at once, until they float, 2–3 minutes. Stir olives, pecorino, capers, and oregano into sauce. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to sauce; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Divide gnocchi between serving bowls; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pecorino.

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