Just miles from the Austrian border, at Ristorante Cianzia in Borca di Cadore, chef Bruna Montesel explained to Jenn Louis why she uses buckwheat flour in her gnocchi: Incorporating it gives the pasta weightiness and an earthy flavor that pairs perfectly with a spring mix of peas and spinach. As the seasons change, try zucchini and squash in the summer and roasted butternut squash in the fall. Featured in: All the Gnocchi
Find this recipe in our cookbook, SAVEUR: Italian Comfort Food
Buckwheat and Ricotta Gnocchi with Cream, Peas, and Spinach
Buckwheat flour makes for dense, slightly sweet gnocchi.
Yield: serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 3⁄4 cups plus 2 tbsp. homemade ricotta or store-bought whole-milk ricotta
- 1⁄2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
- 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1⁄2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup plus 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 3⁄4 cup plus 2 tbsp. buckwheat flour
- Semolina flour, for dusting
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 1⁄3 cups heavy cream
- 4 oz. baby spinach
- 3⁄4 cup finely grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Stir ricotta, pecorino, 2 tsp. salt, 1⁄4 tsp. nutmeg, 1⁄4 tsp. pepper, and yolks in a bowl until smooth. Add flours and, using your hands, mix until a slightly firm dough forms. Quarter dough and cover loosely with plastic wrap. On a lightly floured surface, and working with one-quarter dough at a time, use your hands to roll dough into a 1⁄2-thick rope. Cut rope crosswise into 1⁄4” gnocchi. Transfer gnocchi to a semolina-dusted, parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Separate gnocchi to prevent sticking.
- 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. About halfway through cooking gnocchi, add peas. Meanwhile, bring cream to a simmer in a 12″ skillet over medium-high. Stir in remaining nutmeg. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi and peas to skillet with cream. Stir in spinach, 1⁄2 cup parmesan, the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If sauce is too thick, add 1⁄3 cup water from cooking gnocchi. Divide gnocchi between plates; garnish with remaining parmesan.