Buffalo ricotta and red shrimp stuffed gnocchi with arugola and sun dried tomatoes sauce

A very delicate flavour and a great effect!!


Ingredients:

-Yellow potatoes
-Durum flour
-Buffalo ricotta
-Red shrimps (fresh, with shell and possibly head)
-Fresh basil
-Arugola (rocket)
-Sun dried tomatoes
-Garlic







Average prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Here we go!

First boil the potatoes (with the skin) until tender. While you do that you can peel the shrimps and put the shells and heads to boil in as much water as you will need to cook the gnocchi. By cooking the gnocchi in this water you will increase their flavour.

The stuffing is easy: chop the shrimps roughly , put them in a cup with the ricotta and mix the two ingredients together. Chop the basil finely and add to the mixture. Now season with a little bit of olive oil and table salt. Again I am not giving you the quantities!! You know I want you to play with your recipes and find your own personal way to interpret them! This is how you’ll learn to cook!!!!

The sauce is easy too: mince some garlic and heat it up in a pan with some good olive oil. Then add the arugola (rocket) and cook it until tender. It’s up to your taste if you want the arugola to be left whole or chopped. The sun dried tomatoes are to be added just before the arugola is done. You want their flavour to be fresh and not too cooked. Don't put too many tomatoes! The arugola should be the predominant flavour in the sauce. Chop tomatoes finely (almost into a mash.)

Your potatoes are ready!!! Mash them in a bowl, add about 30% of flour (again same story: you’ll have to play and practice! The kind of potatoes you are using and the humidity of the environment you are working in are important elements and they will always effect your gnocchi) and mix well using your hands until you obtain a soft and smooth ball of dough.
Using a rolling pin flatten the dough trying to make it into a rectangular or oval shape.
The dough must be about a third of an inch thick. Put the stuffing in the middle and roll the dough around it like you were making sushi.
Be really careful when you do this as the roll is very delicate and don’t worry if you think is too soft.
When you are done rolling, wet the roll a little bit and let it sit for a couple of minutes in order to make it close properly (make sure to have some flour on the surface where you are working or the roll will stick to it!).

Now you can cut the roll into slices about 2 inches wide. Every slice is to be cut in half again width wise. If you made the dough properly, when you cut the slices in half they will close automatically keeping the stuffing in. The last thing to do is to delicately roll your gnocchi in abundant durum flour and let them sit again for couple of minutes.

Almost done! Remove the shrimp's shells and heads from the boiling water and throw your gnocchi in (don’t put too many or they will not cook properly. Once the bottom of the pan is covered in one layer of gnocchi is enough. You might have to cook them in turns). You’ll know when your gnocchi are ready! Any kind of gnocchi naturally rise up to the surface when they are done.

While you are boiling the gnocchi, heat up the sauce and when they are cooked throw them in the pan with the sauce. Cook for a couple of minutes and they are ready!!!
Please don’t put parmesan cheese on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have to taste the delicacy of the ricotta and the shrimps! Parmesan cheese would cover the flavours!!!

Buon appetito!!!!!

Wine suggestions: Collio pinot grigio. Dry, full bodied but fresh and soft with hints of apple and green pepper.

Music suggstions: this recipe is so delicate and classy that it needs some classical music!!!