Directions
Today we are going to make one the most delicious dish of all Piedmont: ricotta and spinach Rabaton, the typical cheese (ricotta) gnocchi from the city of Alessandria, in the north east of Piedmont.
They are not difficult to make, especially now that we can offer you the secret recipe of one of the best restaurant of Piedmont: Santisè restaurant.
Enjoy your new gnocchi recipe!
Ingredients for making the authentic Piedmont Rabaton
8-10 servings
- 600 grams of green chard or spinach or wild herbs
- 6 eggs
- 300 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
- 400 grams of ricotta (cottage cheese)
- 100 grams of butter
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 handful of fine breadcrumbs
- a bit of bread soaked in milk and squeezed
- a sprinkle of fresh ground white pepper
- salt and a little bit of flour to dry the dough
- fresh marjoram or thyme
- 3 liters of broth
How to make the perfect ricotta Rabaton
Boil (not too much) green herbs, squeeze and pass through a food mill.
Chop and add parsley and marjoram (or thyme), if you have them.
Mix all other ingredients (ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano cheese, bread crumbs, bread, salt and pepper) until you get a well mixed “dough”.
With this mixture form some large balls, twice the size of a walnut, flour well and roll them with your hands on a cutting board.
Throw them in boiling broth; cook for a minute or so, and when they rise to the surface collect them with a slotted spoon.
Then place all your beloved Rabaton in a baking dish, cover with butter curls, sprinkle copious grated Parmigiano Reggiano and bake in the oven until they are slightly brown. 6-7 minutes are enough.
To make this dish even richer you can add to the mix some chopped and boiled artichokes.
Which wine goes well ricotta and spinach Rabaton?
We choose a medium bodied, floral, white wine with plenty of freshness to cut “all the cheese” in the pot. Pico della Biancara winery is a wonderful Garganega: velvety, super mineral, and above all able to stand up to the buttery flavor of rabaton.
If you want to pair a cocktail, the minty flavor of Mojito is the perfect drink.
Courtesy recipe of Santisè restaurant
Strada Castelletto 2, Calliano, Asti
