Ricotta Gnocchi

INGREDIENTS

•  Salt
•  One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 ¼ cups freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
•  Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ to 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 or more sage leaves
• PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Combine the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan in a large bowl, along with some salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup flour and stir; add more flour until the mixture forms a very sticky dough. Scoop up a spoonful of dough and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape; if it does not, stir in a bit more flour.
2. Put the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it melts and turns a nutty brown color, add the sage. While it fries, drop the ricotta mixture by the rounded tablespoon into the boiling water, working in batches of six or so at a time so as not to overload the pot.
3. When the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet. When all the gnocchi are done, toss, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.

COMMENTS from NYTimes readers

You can put the dough in a pastry bag containing a open tip, then hold it carefully over the boiling water, squeeze, then cut off into desired sized pieces (e.g. 3/4"). Cook in batches. To serve later, place finished gnocchi into an ice bath to chill, and spoon into lightly oiled bowl and refrigerate until ready to use later that evening or the next day. When ready to serve, toss with the butter and sage as suggested in the recipe.

If you have to add a lot of flour your ricotta is too watery. Simple fix: spread a clean smooth kitchen towel on counter (not a terry cloth one); spread your ricotta about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick on the towel. Take 3 thicknesses of paper towel and cover ricotta. Press gently for a few seconds all over the ricotta, evenly. Remove paper towel and discard. The ricotta will peel off the towel easily and be much less moist.

Freeze them before you boil them and they won't clump together

Let the ricotta drain for a day if possible before making them. Fork mix them with just enough flour to keep them together, then take a healthy spoonful and knead in enough flour so they can be rolled into ropes and cut. Depending on the size of your eggs two may be too much.

I made this again substituting cream cheese for half the ricotta because we had it on hand. Delicious!

I think you may have added too much flour; that's why they didn't hold together. Also, you can't handle the dough too much, try to get the job done with as little mixing as possible. We made a simple, very rich sauce with just melted butter with sour cream mixed in and heated together until warm.

Meatballs and meatloaf

The main secret is beef + pork + veal.
I like Fareway because you can buy exactly what you want - but their veal is frozen, so I usually skip the veal and get 1 1/2 lb beef and 1/2 lb ground pork. Other stores may have ground veal. I have not looked. Hunter's meatballs always have veal and they are really good. You can make them with all beef and they are still good.

• 1 pound ground lean beef
• ½ pound ground veal
• ½ pound ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (great addition, but optional. try them without to see if you like them - lots cheaper without the cheese)
• 1½ tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (dried is OK - just OK- may substitute dried Italian herbs)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or 2)
• Salt and ground black pepper - 1 tsp salt, 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cups fine dry bread crumbs (I use more like 1 cup and I like soft bread crumbs - the food processor makes great crumbs)
• water - start with a half cup - and keep adding a little more until the mixture is fairly soft, but will still hold together.

Shape into meatballs and bake in oven at 350. Usually around 45 minutes, but depends on the size of the meatballs. Usually when they smell good, they need about 5 more minutes. If you want to take them out early and let them simmer in the sauce, that's good.

I always put them on the no-stick foil for easy clean up. Make lots and freeze them. Graziano's has frozen meatballs that are really good. All their frozen pastas are fabulous. Super easy.

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Meatballs - Hunter's - what he said they made in the food truck

All beef or beef and pork or beef/pork/veal

Romano or parmesan

egg

bread crumbs (soft -or- if dry, add water

fresh parsley

granulated garlic

salt and pepper

basi

oregano

(he once said he used Worcestershire sauce too - but, it doesn't sound that Italian)

Jean's - in a hurry meatloaf - works for meatballs

Same choice of meats - 1 or 1 1/2 lb

1 egg

Worcestershire sauce

Lawrey's seasoned salt

pepper

dry bread crumbs and water -or- soft bread crumbs -or- oatmeal

Turkey Tetrazinni

Makes 2 9x13 pans

Break spaghetti into smaller pieces. Boil 1 lb spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water.

Sauce - follow white sauce directions 3/4 c. butter 3/4 c. flour 2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 qt. whole milk 2 c. turkey stock or canned chicken stock

Boil for 2 minutes Separate 4 eggs Add hot mixture, very slowly to egg yolks, whisking When the yolks are hot, return to pan Add 1 c. heavy cream and 1/2 c. dry sherry Cook slowly, do NOT boil

Stir 2 c. sauce into the spaghetti Divide in half and smoosh it around the edge of the two 9x13 pans You may line one with foil and freeze it for later Mix 2 c. sauce with 6 c. diced cooked turkey (add extra sauce if it looks like it needs more) Add 2 cans mushrooms - if desired Divide in half and pile in the center of the pans Top each pan with 1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated Cover with foil Refrigerate one hour or over night

To freeze, seal with foil and put in freezer. Thaw 1 hour unwrapped

Bake 1 hr at 350 or until it bubbles (frozen one might take a bit longer) Reheat extra sauce to spoon over.

Rather than putting pasta around the edge and turkey in the middle you can just mix it all together like a casserole.

Lasagna

Brown 1 lb. sweet sausage and 1/2 lb ground beef (10-15 minutes) Chop and add: 1 medium onion 3 carrots 3 stalks celery [Marinara version: Instead of meat, use double the onion/carrot/celery - in 3 Tbsp olive oil] Add 2 (or more) cloves minced garlic Simmer until vegetables are tender - 10 min Mix and add: 2 T sugar 1 T. salt 1 1/2 tsp sweet basil, dried 1/2 tsp fennel 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 c. parsley (dried flakes are fine) Add 4 c. canned tomatoes (Italian plum) 2 lb. 3 oz. can 12 oz. tomato paste 1/2 c. water

Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hr. Stir at least every half hour. If it sticks, just leave it stuck to the bottom and do not scrape off the bottom when you empty the sauce. Just discard the browned stuff. It is fine to just put it in a 350 oven for two hours. Or use a crock pot.

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Boil 12 lasagna noodles and drain (9 is OK if your pan is small) The noodles that you don't have to boil are fine.

Prepare the ricotta filling by stirring together: 15 oz ricotta - whole milk is good, but optional 1/4 c parsley, minced or dried flakes 1 whole egg 1/2 tsp salt (or garlic salt) white pepper (optional)

3/4 lb sliced mozzarella cheese - divide into thirds 3/4 c. grated parmesan or Romano cheese (or combination) - divide into thirds

In a 9 x 13 greased pan (or line with no stick foil) layer: 1 1/2 c sauce 4 lasagna noodles 1/2 of the ricotta mixture 1/3 of the mozzarella 1/3 grated cheese 1 1/2 c. sauce 4 noodles repeat using the other 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the grated cheeses, 1 1/2 cup sauce 4 noodles 1 1/2 cup sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the grated cheese

Cover with foil Bake in preheated 375 oven for 25 minutes Uncover and bake another 25 minutes or until bubbly Cool 10-15 minutes before serving. Extra sauce may be heated and served on the side