Ricotta Gnocchi with Salsa della Nonna

 

3 pounds whole-milk ricotta, drained overnight

6 egg yolks

2 tsp. sea salt, preferably gray salt

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for sprinkling and dusting

best-quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Salsa di Pomodoro della Nonna for serving

grated Pecorino-Romano for sprinkling

 

Using the back of a large spoon, press the ricotta through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and sea salt and mix with a rubber spatula. Gently fold in the 3⁄4 cup flour; the less you work the dough, the lighter and more tender the gnocchi will be. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Lightly sprinkle your work surface and two baking sheets with flour. Pull off about a quarter of the gnocchi dough and gently roll it into a rope about 1 inch wide. Using a dough scraper or a sharp knife dipped in flour, cut individual dumplings from the rope into 1-inch pieces. Gently transfer each piece to a prepared baking sheet and dust with flour so it’s lightly coated. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi. Slide the pans into the freezer and freeze for at least 24 hours or up to 1 month. (Gnocchi have a better texture if they go right from the freezer to the pot.) Heat a pot of salted water (see note, at right), and, while the water heats, put the sauce on the stove over a simmering flame so it’s warm when the gnocchi are cooked. When the water comes to a boil, cook two dozen frozen gnocchi for 3 to 3 1⁄2 minutes, or for 30 to 45 seconds after they rise to the surface. Using a slotted spoon or a wire skimmer, transfer the gnocchi to a warmed plate. Add another two dozen gnocchi to the pot. While they cook, finish plating the batch of gnocchi you just took out of the pot. Spoon about a dozen gnocchi per serving onto a warmed plate. Drizzle with olive oil. Spoon a little of the warm tomato sauce on top and finish with a sprinkling of pecorino.