Thank you Lipton, for sponsoring this post and keeping it free for my readers. All opinions are my own.
Made from scratch ricotta gnocchi, cooked with garden veggies, and seasoned with parmesan. Gnocchi are kind of a cross between a dumpling and a pasta, and can be made in a number of ways. They are typically made with potatoes, but can be made with many other ingredients. These cheesy, ricotta gnocchi are pillow-y soft, subtly flavored, and so easy to make, and pair perfectly with Lipton Lemon iced tea.
Ricotta Gnocchi Skillet
©Eazy Peazy Mealz by EazyPeazyMealz.com
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Lipton challenged me to reimagine mealtime, and bring the focus back to the things that matter. I loved this concept. Mealtime in our home had become a little perfunctory. We use meals to eat. And that is about it.
One of the things my family loves doing is traveling. We travel all over the world. And have spent a lot of time in Europe over the past year. For most Europeans mealtime is not just about satisfying hunger, it is an experience. If I have learned anything, it is mealtimes should be memorable, meaningful, and enjoyed. It is a time that should be spent together, as a family, or with friends. It should involve great conversations, great food and beverages. The meal is more than sitting down, it is the origins of the food, the preparation, the art of food. It is a whole family deal. Everyone is involved.
And so for our reimagined mealtime, we decided to not just adopt this concept of a leisurely and enjoyable mealtime, but also take our taste buds on a trip, and explore a culinary journey through Italy. And what better way to do that then with fresh, from scratch, pasta, and a refreshing Lipton Lemon iced tea?
Getting the Family Involved
As part of our culinary journey through Italy, I got everyone involved. From the shopping and garden harvesting, to the food prep, to the setting of the table. While one child washed lettuce for a salad, another made the indentations in the gnocchi. He took his job very seriously, and was super invested in the outcome of the ricotta gnocchi. I loved seeing this. He is a picky eater, and actually ate this! So proud.
And while we worked together to prepare the meal, we talked about Italy, the origins of the food, where gnocchi got it’s name, and why ridges are pressed into it! It was an education, and a whole lot of fun. And a great way to start conversations. It also helped my kids get even more excited about an upcoming trip to Rome.
The whole experience was awesome, not to mention, absolutely delicious. And rewarding.
One of the things I loved learning about Italy’s food history is the care most people take with their food. Much of it is from scratch, home grown, and hand harvested. This skillet ricotta gnocchi was extra special to me because we used fresh tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, and basil from our garden. With Fall here, it was the last of our harvest, and preparing it as a family, and enjoying it around the table together, with a refreshing beverage included, was special.
Reimagined Mealtime
This reimagined mealtime experience helped me to remember and focus on the things that matter, like connecting with the world around me, spending time with my family, and opening up our minds and hearts to other cultures, traditions, and ways of life.
I loved the local flavors of Italy, and because of that, I especially loved checking out the Bright Bites site on FoodNetwork. They have a lot of local flavor videos, so be sure to check it out. Your mouth will be watering, and you will want to take a culinary journey around the globe to enjoy these fresh, bright, and fun foods!
And remember, you never have to leave home to take your taste buds on a trip, and enjoy a meaningful meal. And Lipton Lemon iced tea is the perfect accompaniment, so grab a skillet and get cooking!
More recipes you might enjoy:
- Spicy Italian Lasagna Roll Ups
- Italian Beef Stew (Slow Cooker)
- Italian Garden Salad
- Raspberry Italian Soda
- Chicken Sausage and Peas Alfredo Pesto Skillet Pasta
Ricotta Gnocchi Skillet
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 egg + 1 yolk
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour + extra for dusting
The Rest
- 2 Tbs olive oil divided
- 1 Tbs minced garlic
- 1 cup zucchini and yellow squash chopped small
- 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach heaping cup/handful
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put ricotta, egg, parmesan, and salt in a bowl, and mix just slightly.
- Add in flour, and mix completely.
- Dust a counter top with flour, and dump out gnocchi dough, and form it into a disc. The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Slice into 8 even sized pieces.
- Roll into logs, and cut into even pieces of gnocchi (about 6 per log)
- Using a fork, slightly indent each piece, this gives the dumpling/noodle a surface sauce will stick to.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (add a little salt)
- Boil gnocchi for about 2-3 minutes, until all of them are floating at the top for 30 seconds.
- Strain. Here is a handy clip on strainer.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, and brown the gnocchi. It may stick, just scrape it off. 2 mins per side. I used my Anolan skillet because it heats evenly and everything gets done at the same time.
- Remove gnocchi from the pan, and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Then add garlic, squash, tomatoes, and let simmer.
- Add spinach, let wilt, add gnocchi back in.
- Garnish with basil and parmesan, taste, and season as desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You really need to use freshly grated parmesan cheese for this because it is lighter and finer than store bought pre grated parmesan so it dissolves into the gnocchi better. You may use slightly less flour, use between 3/4 to 1 cup. This can be made ahead. If you make it ahead, freeze, sprinkle with flour and put in layers between parchment paper. Put in airtight container and freeze up to a month. Cooking from frozen is easy, just add an extra minute. Recipe for gnocchi from RecipeTinEats.com, preparation differs.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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The recipe for the homemade ricotta gnocchi is from RecipeTinEats.com, with adaptations by me.
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton. The opinions and text are all mine.