Italian Appetizer (Antipasti) Recipes - Green Gnocchi (Gnocchi Verdi) Recipe

Ingredients

• 450 g/1lb spinach

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup unsalted (sweet) butter

• 175 g/6 oz/3/4 cup curd (smooth cottage) cheese

• 45 ml/3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour

• 30 ml/2 tbsp double (heavy) cream

• 2 eggs, beaten

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• 100 g/4 oz/1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

• A little extra flour

---

Method:

1. Wash the spinach in several changes of water. Put in a saucepan with no extra water, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze out all excess moisture then finely chop.

2. Melt half the butter in a saucepan. Add the spinach and curd cheese and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat, stir in the flour, cream, eggs, some salt and pepper, the nut­meg and 25 g/ 1 oz/1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

4. Mix thoroughly, then turn the mixture into a large shallow dish and chill for 2 hours until firm. With floured hands, shape the gnocchi into small balls.

5. Drop a few at a time into a pan of boiling water and cook until they puff up and rise to the surface. Remove with a draining spoon and arrange in a buttered flameproof dish.

6. Melt the remaining butter and drizzle over the gnocchi. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and grill (broil) until the top is golden brown. Serve straight away.