Potato Gnocchi with Crispy Prosciutto

Posted on March 30, 2016

I decided to change up my gnocchi recipe slightly on my second attempt. Since my first attempt at gnocchi, I had purchased a ricer. A ricer is a “must have” when making gnocchi. The last time I squeezed my potatoes through a garlic press. I do not recommend this method. This time I did not follow a recipe. I had read several different gnocchi recipes and watched several videos before deciding to just take stab at doing it on my own. Trying to develop my culinary instincts. The dish was a success. There were aspects that were not perfect, such as I need to work on the consistency of my dough. If you have ever worked with dough, there is a definite texture and consistency that you can feel and instantly know if you have it right. My dough was a little loose but it did not affect the flavor; however, it was a little more difficult to work with it. I think I can correct this issue after a couple more attempts.

This is a very simplistic gnocchi recipe. The last time I made gnocchi it was good but I felt like it was a little bland. I saw a You Tube video where Gordon Ramsey put ricotta in his gnocchi so I tried it this time. It definitely made a difference. I had also boiled my gnocchi in water but I do prefer to go the extra step and fry the gnocchi in olive oil. I love the texture and the crunch on the gnocchi after it has been cooked in this manner. I wasn’t in the mood to cook up a sauce, and I remembered seeing a recipe for gnocchi with crispy pancetta on Food & Wine. I didn’t have any pancetta so I cooked some prosciutto until crispy. I let the prosciutto cool, chopped it, and set it aside. The only other additions to the dish was freshly grated parmesan and Italian seasoning.

I made the dish in batches. After boiling the gnocchi, I would heat the olive oil and cook the gnocchi about a plateful at a time. Once the gnocchi began to brown, I would toss a handful of the crispy prosciutto to cook with the gnocchi. When the gnocchi turns brown and crunchy on each side, I used a slotted spoon to remove gnocchi and prosciutto and place in a bowl. I topped it with freshly grated parmesan and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.

I wasn’t sure how this dish would turn out when I started but it was a hit. Turns out, I didn’t make enough for everyone because they kept coming back for more.

Potato Gnocchi with Crispy Prosciutto

4 russet potatoes

4 ounces of ricotta

1 egg

2 1/2 cup of flour

1 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of pepper

6 slices of thinly sliced prosciutto

2 T. of olive oil

Italian seasoning and freshly grated for topping

Peel and rinse the potatoes. Place in medium pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil. Boil until potatoes are easily forked and soft, approximately 30 minutes. Drain water and allow potatoes to cool. In a large mixing bowl, run the potatoes through the ricer. Make a small well in the middle of the riced potatoes. Add the ricotta and egg to the well. Sprinkle in flour. Add salt and pepper. Fold in ingredients until a loose dough is formed and dough is thoroughly mixed. Form the dough into a loose ball and lightly flour. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, fry prosciutto in skillet until crispy. Drain prosciutto on paper towel. When prosciutto is cool, finely chop the prosciutto and set aside.

Place a large pot on the stove and bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil. After dough has rested for 30 minutes, unwrap gnocchi dough and place on lightly floured surface. While water comes to a boil, roll out dough in an uniform 1/2 inch wide rope. Cut dough into 1 inch sections and place dough in boiling water. Gnocchi is done cooking when it floats to the surface, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. In a skillet, heat 2 T of olive oil. Place gnocchi in hot skillet and cook until each side is a crispy, golden brown.

Serve gnocchi sprinkled with crispy prosciutto, freshly grated parmesan, and a pinch of Italian seasoning.