Ricotta Gnocchi with Caramelised Fennel, Lemon and Pistachio’s

Geschreven door Sophie Siemerink

When hosting a dinner party, I love to serve big platters of food that are easily shareable. Dishes I can put on the table with a nonchalant Je ne Sais Quoi and not worry about it cooling down a bit to room temperature. This is one of those recipes. The ricotta gnocchi are the easiest ‘pasta’ ever, but looks ánd tastes amazing. The slowly baked fennel turns soft and sweet while the pistachio’s give the dish a salty and crunchy kick. Topped with lemon (acid!) and olive oil (fat!), there is something to pick off of that big platter for everyone.

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side.

You’ll need:

  • 3 big or 4 small fennel bulbs

  • Butter (or sub for olive oil)

  • 500gr ricotta (that’s 2 tubs as we get them here)

  • 2 eggs

  • 60gr shelled salted pistachio’s.

  • 100gr all purpose, or spelt flour

  • Zest and juice of 2 (organic) lemons

  • A handful of soft green herbs, (a mix of) basil, mint, parsley or dill would all work well here.

  • Parmesan, to finish

  • Olive oil

  • Salt & Pepper

Clues

Start by chopping up the fennel. Trim off the top stalks of the fennel and cut into 1/2cm bits. Put the stalks aside in a small bowl. Cut the bulbs into wedges by trimming off the bottom end and cut them into quarters right trough the centre. Cut those quarters in 2 to 3 wedges that are held together by that centre.

Put a big skillet on medium to high heat. Once hot, add a knob of butter and the fennel and a good pinch of salt. Let cook for about 10 minutes, until soft and caramelised, shaking the pan every now and then. Take off the heat.

In the meantime: To the small bowl with the stalks; add half the lemon zest and all of the lemon juice, a generous splash of olive oil (3-4 tablespoons), salt and pepper. Tear up the soft herbs and toss them in. Give it a good mix.

To a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, the ricotta and the other half of the lemon zest. Stir well into a homogeneous mix. This is your chance to mix well, once you mix in the flour you want to stir as little as possible as overmixing can make the gnocchi’s texture tough. Gently fold the flour in with a spatula.

Shape the dumplings into a round-ish wonky oval shape (like a quenelle) by taking a spoonful and using another spoon to scoop the mixture from one spoon to another. Add the gnocchi one by one to a large pot of boiling, salted water. You might want to cook them in a few batches to not overcrowd the pan. They’ll be done in about 5 minutes, or until they start to float. They should feel soft and pillowy (or just try one to be sure it’s cooked trough: chef’s treat!) Take the dumplings out with a slotted spoon.

Distribute the braised fennel over one large platter or over individual plates. Divide the ricotta dumplings over the fennel and top with the fennel stalks, oil and herbs. Mangiare!

Sophie Siemerink