Ricotta Gnocchi and Delatite Riesling

This is one of The Bookworm's favourite meals. The recipe is Donna Hay's from one of her very early magazines (I have forgotten which one but remember the recipe) and I am sure she has reimagined it since. It is super-easy to make and a  high(er) protein low(er) carb alternative to the stodgy potato type (which I also love).

You will need:
500g fresh ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 eggs lightly beaten
Salt and Pepper
1 cup plain flour plus extra for dusting your board

Fresh gnocchi

 Mix together your ingredients in a large bowl until fairly smooth-ish and pat into a large ball

Tear off a small amount and roll into a long sausage on a floured board

Chop into about 2 cm gnocchi sized chunks

Lay it out on a plate, keeping the pieces separated and pop in the fridge for a while. I like to do prep in advance and then throw together at the last minute. I find that more relaxing and this recipe suits my vibe perfectly.

When you are ready to cook, find your largest base saucepan and bring some salted water to the boil. Drop in your gnocchi one at a time until you have covered the base of the saucepan and bring it back to the boil (water temp drops because the gnocchi are cold).

When they are ready they float to the top. Remove them with a slotted spoon (and I put them in a colander to ensure they don't retain any wetness. Keep warm while you cook the rest of the gnocchi.

The gnocchi is beautiful and subtly flavoured so you don't want to overpower it. I roasted some whole garlic cloves and cherry tomatoes drizzled in olive oil in the oven and then blitzed them with some fresh mint. If the sauce is a little thick you can thin it down with some warm stock.

And everything tastes better with crispy bacon on top.

WINE RAVE ALERT

A few years ago I was on tour in the Central Highlands area and spent a night in Mansfield where Delatite Winery have their cellar door. I always like to explore new place on foot and never one to miss an opportunity to taste wine I popped in on an afternoon off and sampled their range. I had to get one of my colleagues to drive me back to the cellar door to pick up all the wine I had bought.

I am now on their email list so when I received an email a couple of months ago telling of their recent 94+ ratings by James Halliday I bought myself a little care package with some of their 94 point riesling and late harvest riesling  and 96 point gewurtztraminer. I should point out that I don't really buy wine according to ratings but I know and love these wines (they also do some excellent reds too that I still have in my "cellar") and this release seemed to be a particularly good year.

I opened the 2012 Riesling to have with (and prior to) the gnocchi. It was magnificent. Imagine the delight of biting into a sherbet bomb and having you mouth filled with tangy lime and orange sorbet sherbetty goodness. That was this wine. Zingy acidity and remarkable zesty citrus and spice all beautifully balanced in a gorgeous dry riesling. If you see it buy it! Or you can get it delivered from their website. I still have a 2008 'The Donald' Tempranillo, 2009 Malbec and a previous release Devil's River so can highly recommend them too:)

They were pretty modest on the label