Ricotta Gnocchi with Contessa Sauce

Preparation

1. Make the gnocchi

   Step 1

   Spoon the ricotta into a large, fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a basket-type coffee filter. Set the sieve over a bowl and cover the ricotta well with plastic wrap. Let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator at least overnight, or up to 24 hours. Discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.

   Step 2

   Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

   Step 3

   Turn the drained ricotta into a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs and 1 teaspoon salt in a separate bowl until foamy. Stir the eggs, 1/2 cup grated cheese, pepper, and nutmeg into the ricotta with a wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly blended. Gradually add as much of the flour as necessary to form a soft and sticky dough. Ricotta-gnocchi dough is always soft and sticky—don’t work in so much flour that you have a firm or smooth dough, or the gnocchi will be tough and heavy.

   Step 4

   Divide the dough into six approximately equal pieces. Roll one of the dough pieces out with a back-and-forth movement of your palms and fingers to a rope about 1/2 inch wide. Flour your hands, the work surface, and the dough lightly, as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Cut the roll cross-wise into 1/4-inch lengths. Repeat with the remaining dough. Dust the cut gnocchi lightly with flour and toss them gently to separate. Let them stand while preparing the sauce.

2. Make the sauce

   Step 5

   Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the prosciutto, basil, and pine nuts and cook, stirring, until the pine nuts are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup heavy cream, bring to a boil, and boil until the sauce is lightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat while cooking the gnocchi.

   Step 6

   Stir the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the boiling water, stirring gently but constantly. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until they float to the top and are tender, about 5 minutes.

   Step 7

   If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and gnocchi, fish the gnocchi out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and add them directly to the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the gnocchi gently, return them to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring gently to coat the gnocchi with sauce. Stir in the whipped cream, remove from the heat, and stir in the grated cheese. Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary, and serve immediately.