Crispy Ricotta Gnocchi

With a lightly crisp exterior and pillowy center, these ricotta gnocchi are finished in sage-infused brown butter for a bit of nutty richness. Yum! I saw this on the cover of the latest issue of Food & Wine Magazine and had to make it.
 
So I want to be clear: the Delaney Test Kitchen is focused on easy, 30 minute meals you make after a long day at work.  This one takes a bit longer to prepare - but hear me out.

You can meal prep this over the weekend in about 30 minutes hands on, plus 30 minutes for the dough to rest, and it will make TWO meals.

You can make one of those meals that day or the next, or you can freeze them all for later. So in the end when you do cook this recipe with your pre-made ricotta gnocchi, then it IS a 30 minute meal to make.

This recipe also makes an enormous amount of food: 100 gnocchi! So my recommendation is this: Make the gnocchi, but cook half and freeze the other half after slicing them.
 
By freezing the other 50 gnocchi, you can keep an impressive yet easy last-minute dinner option at the ready.
 
Additionally, these gnocchi can be prepared through step 3 and refrigerated, covered, for up to one day, or frozen for up to two weeks. Freeze gnocchi on the baking sheet until hardened, about two hours. Transfer frozen gnocchi to a large ziplock bag, and store in the freezer. Boil frozen gnocchi until they float to the surface, three to four minutes. Once the gnocchi floats to the surface, continue boiling for two minutes more. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

Crispy Ricotta Gnocchi

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 3/4 Cups whole-milk ricotta cheese (approx. 26 ounces)
• 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup), plus more for garnish
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest plus 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 1/3 Cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces), plus more for dusting
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing
• 4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped (about 2/3 cup), divided
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 20 fresh sage leaves, divided

 
PREPARATION:
Step 1:
Place ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, egg yolk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment; beat on medium speed until well combined, about 15 seconds. Decrease speed to low; gradually add flour, beating until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium, and beat until a soft and tacky dough forms, about 1 minute.
 
Step 2:
Turn dough out onto a heavily floured work surface, and shape into a disk using floured hands. Dust top of dough disk with flour, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough is pliable and soft to the touch, about 30 minutes.
 
Step 3:
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and dust with flour. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, and cut into 4 even pieces. Roll each piece into a 3/4-inch-thick rope, about 22 inches long. (Note: for ultra-tender gnocchi, avoid overworking the dough or incorporating too much flour when rolling the dough into ropes.)
 
Cut each rope into 3/4-inch-long pieces (about 25 to 28 pieces per rope); transfer gnocchi to baking sheet.
 
Step 4:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium. Meanwhile, grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until they float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Once gnocchi float to the surface, continue boiling for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to greased baking sheet using a slotted spoon.
 
Step 5:
Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add half of the pancetta; cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and pancetta is starting to brown but not crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter; cook, stirring occasionally, until butter smells nutty and begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in 10 sage leaves; cook, stirring constantly, until leaves crisp, about 20 seconds.
 
Step 6:
Add half of the gnocchi to skillet; cook, undisturbed, until bottoms are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip; cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice; season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer gnocchi mixture to a large ovenproof platter using a slotted spoon; drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter mixture. Transfer to oven to keep warm. Wipe skillet clean.
 
Step 7:
Repeat with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, remaining half of pancetta, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, remaining 10 sage leaves, remaining half of gnocchi, and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano; serve warm.