I made ñoquis for a cultural potluck we had in my class. It was a lot of fun! For pictures and other information about ñoqui traditions in Argentina, read the post on my family blog.
Here's the recipe I used, as well as some tips about making ñoquis:
RICOTTA ÑOQUIS
Adapted from Choly Berreteaga's Pasta y Pizzas. On Ñoquis Night in Houston, the ñoquis were served with additional grated Parmesan cheese and a choice of Alfredo, pesto, Bolognese or Bolognese-cream sauce. Berreteaga instructs her readers to roll the ñoquis with the palms of their hands, but Lucy Marzeniuk used her fingers. Ñoquis can be made ahead of time and frozen. Boil them just before you plan to eat them. Toy Brando Halsey says ricotta ñoquis are the easiest to make. If the cheese is very wet, you can drain it in a mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
- 1 pound regular ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 to 11/3 cups all-purpose flour, as necessary
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Combine the ricotta, egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan. Gradually add flour until you have a nice, soft dough that does not stick to your fingers.
Flour your hands and a very clean counter. Divide the dough into several balls. Using the palms of your hands, shape each ball into a log of dough about 8 inches long and about the width of a medium cigar. Cut each log into ¾-inch nuggets.
Roll individual ñoquis with your thumb or index finger, pressing lightly against the tines of a fork to form a concave dent on one side and grooves on the other.
When you are ready to eat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the oil. Thump the ñoquis lightly to get rid of excess flour. Drop a handful at a time into the pot. When they float to the surface, which will take just a few minutes, they are done. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Drain. Repeat with the remaining ñoquis.
Makes 3 to 4 servings.
ÑOQUIS KNOW-HOW
• Cooking: When making potato ñoquis, bake the potatoes rather than boiling them. They will be drier, requiring less flour, which is the key to light ñoquis.• Doneness: If you boil the potatoes, do not poke them continually with a fork to test if they are done, or they will become waterlogged.
• Texture: Rice the potatoes instead of mashing them. If you don't have a ricer, use a fork or potato masher, or put them through a food mill. Never use a food processor, which will make them gummy.
• Flour: Add the flour gradually and with restraint, or the ñoquis will be pasty. The dough should feel slightly sticky.
• Testing: Place a single ñoqui in boiling water. If it falls apart, add more flour to the dough.
• Cheese: If you are making ricotta ñoquis and the cheese is very wet, drain it for a few hours in a mesh strainer or cheesecloth before you start.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/food/side/4210966.html#ixzz1UK5CobwT
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