step 1
Wash and peel the Brushed Potatoes (4) then cut them into even, medium size pieces and leave them to boil in a pan filled with Water (to taste).
step 2
When the potatoes have come to a boil, use a fork and press it into one of the potatoes. If it goes through quickly and easily, strain them with a sieve. Once strained, leave the potatoes in the sieve and place this over the top of the pot, and cover it with the lid, leaving a small gap for air to escape to remove excess moisture. Leave this aside for 15-20 minutes.
step 3
Slice and chop the Garlic (4 cloves) using a chopping board and sharp knife.
step 4
Put a frying pan on medium heat and add a generous amount of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (as needed), then add the Fresh Spinach (1.1 lb) straight on top. Season with a few pinches of Salt (to taste) and Ground Black Pepper (to taste) and the chopped garlic. Leave this to cool on the chopping board before chopping finely chopping it.
step 5
Scoop the Ricotta Cheese (2 cups) into a large mixing bowl and crack an Egg (1) on top. Whisk the mixture together.
step 6
Then, add a generous portion of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (to taste), a big handful of Parmesan Cheese (to taste), Salt and Pepper ( to taste) and mix again.
step 7
Give the spinach one final chop and mix it into the bowl. Scoop the mixture into a piping bag to make it easier to fill your Gnoccoloni.
step 8
Remove the lid of the potatoes, and you will notice that some of the potatoes have a slightly white edge – this means they have steamed well. They should be lukewarm to touch.
step 9
Get 2 handfuls of All-Purpose Flour (to taste) and put them into the center of the chopping board. Make a well in the middle and put the potatoes through a ricer.
step 10
Once all the potatoes have been put through the ricer, make another well in the centre, crack an Egg (1) into the middle of it. Season with Salt (to taste) and blend all the ingredients together.
step 11
Gently knead the gnocchi dough and if it feels sticky, add a small amount of flour at a time to get it to just the right consistency. Keep adding and kneading until you create a large “GNOCCO!” Once done, sprinkle some All-Purpose Flour (to taste) to the side of your board, and leave the dough to rest.
step 12
To start making the gnoccoloni, cut a small portion of dough from the larger piece and place flour underneath and on top, gently flattening it with your hands. Then, using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough back and forth, then turn it over and repeat.
step 13
Once rolled out, use the cookie cutter to make round discs and begin to pipe a nice size amount of filling into the centre of each one.
step 14
Gently fold over each morsel, joining them from edge to edge and pressing down delicately to seal the sides so you don’t make a hole in the dough.
step 15
Put a frying pan on medium heat and add Butter (1/3 cup), moving the pan around so the butter quickly melts and covers the base of it.
step 16
Once the butter has melted, using a tablespoon, scoop some up and check if there are burnt bits at the bottom, if they are, your butter is ready!
step 17
Bring a large pot of water to boil – don’t forget to add a handful of salt once it is boiling away.
step 18
Gently place each Gnoccoloni into the pot and wait until they rise to the top. Once they do, drain them well and add them to the pan with the butter, then drop them in and lather them in butter.
step 19
Put the Gnoccoloni onto a flate plate, add some Fresh Sage (to taste) on top and sprinkle some Ground Black Pepper (to taste) on them along with a few more drops of the delicious burnt butter. Enjoy!
