Spinach Gnocchi

I would like to thank Denise Bonner for this recipe and I finally got up the courage to try them this year. After several phone calls to Denise, they came out great. Denise makes these every Christmas Eve with her daughters. This year Bruce will happily make them with Denise.

2 packages of frozen spinach (the small boxes).

2 eggs

1 pound ricotta

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups flour

Cook spinach. Cool and squeeze water out well. Combine chopped spinach, ricotta, eggs, and parmesan cheese and stir well. Add flour and just mix. Knead dough and form into large ball. Refrigerate until cold (around 2 hours). Cut the ball into around 8 pieces. Spread flour on cutting board or counter. Put flour on your hands. Roll each piece between hands to make long rolls. Cut into one inch pieces. Roll into balls and slide the ball down a fork for the ridges.* Drop into boiling water. Remove when floating.** Butter and parmesan cheese is a wonderful topping or maybe try something of your own. Pesto or a cream and gorgonzola cheese topping.

* I had lots of trouble getting the fork ridges on the individual pieces so I chose to cut them into one inch pieces and leave like little puffy pillows.

** I made the puffy pillows and then lay them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about an hour or until frozen. Take them off the cookie sheet and put in plastic bags and back into freezer. You can cook them from frozen.