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Creamy Gnocchi with Ham and Asparagus

Creamy Gnocchi with Ham and Asparagus

Homemade potato and ricotta gnocchi tossed with ham and asparagus in a light cream sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Equipment

  • potato ricer

Ingredients
  

For the Potato and Ricotta Gnocchi:

  • 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • ⅔ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (240g)

For the Creamy Sauce with Prosciutto and Peas:

  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup ham , sliced in half inch strips
  • 1 cup white wine
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 bunch trimmed asparagus, cut in three inch pieces
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
  • ¼ cup basil leaves

Instructions
 

For the Potato and Ricotta Gnocchi:

  • Prick potatoes all over with a fork, and bake them in a 425 degree oven, directly on the rack, for forty minutes, or until tender when tested with a fork.
  • When the potatoes are done baking, scoop them out of their shells and rice them into a large bowl. Add the cheeses, eggs, and salt. Stir gently together. Add the flour, and as gently as possible, knead the dough into a ball.
  • Remove a golf ball sized piece of dough, and on a floured board, roll into a thin log, about a half inch thick. Cut the log into ¾ inch pieces. Place them on a floured parchment lined pan. Repeat until all the dough is used up. You will only need half the gnocchi for this recipe. You can freeze the rest of the gnocchi by placing the sheet full of them in the freezer. When they're frozen, you can put them in a freezer bag to store them.
  • Boil a large pot of salted water. Drop in one ladle full of gnocchi at a time. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi as soon as they rise to the top. Drop them into a colander as soon as they're done so they dry completely. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked. You'll only need half the gnocchi for this sauce. Save the rest for another use. Check out this site for lots of other gnocchi sauce recipes.

For the Creamy Sauce with Ham and Asparagus:

  • Begin by cooking the asparagus: Bring one inch of water to a boil in a three quart saucepan. Add the asparagus and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain well.
  • In a large skillet, heat the oil. Cook the ham for one minute on medium heat, and then remove it to a plate.
  • To the skillet, add the wine and cook it on high heat until it's reduced by half, for about four minutes. Lower the heat to medium, and stir in the cream, chicken stock, garlic, and butter. Simmer for four minutes or until the cream has thickened. . Add the gnocchi, asparagus, and reserved ham, and the grated Parmesan. Cook for a couple of minutes, just until the gnocchi is warmed up.
  • Serve garnished with basil and the shaved Parmesan cheese.
Keyword pasta, pork
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