RECIPE | Civico 47's Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchi with Burnt Butter, Sage & Australian Black Truffle

Written by Hannah Crosby from Gourmet Life

Matteo Zamboni, Executive Chef of Civico 47, showcases the Australian black winter truffle, supplied by Gourmet Life, at its season's peak with his signature refined elegance. Creating an unpretentious, impactful combination of ricotta and spinach gnocchi with burnt butter and sage to keep you warm this winter.

Re-create this dish at home for an intoxicating taste of dine-in indulgence before the Australian black winter truffle season's last harvest in August 2022. One with an irresistibly seductive aroma and mouth-watering flavour and suggested wine pairing by Civico 47’s Sommelier, Luke Collard. 

Home to the oldest continental crust on earth forged more than 4 billion years ago, Australia's nutrient rich soils have been lying in wait to be sowed with ancestral European know-how surrounding the farming of tuber melanosporum (black truffle). Australia’s hunger for black winter truffle grows in feverish popularity among those with a taste for the finer things in life with each season.

RICOTTA AND SPINACH GNOCCHI WITH BURNT BUTTER, SAGE AND BLACK TRUFFLE
Serves 2 

Ingredients

• 500 grams of baby spinach

• 100 grams of fresh ricotta

• 50 grams of plain flour + some more for rolling

• 50 grams of grated Parmigiano Reggiano + more for topping (optional)

• 1 whole egg

• 100 grams of butter

• 10 sage leaves

• Half a lemon

• Salt to taste

• Pepper to taste

• Nutmeg (optional)

• 20 grams of Fresh Australian black winter truffle

 Method

1. Boil the spinach for 2 minutes in lightly salted water before straining and setting aside to cool down.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to boil to cook the gnocchi.

3. While the spinach is cooling, put the ricotta in a mixing bowl, add the egg, salt, Parmigiano, pepper and nutmeg.

4. Once the spinach is cool, squeeze the spinach between your hands to get rid of all the excess water and add to the bowl with the ricotta mix.

5. Add around 20% of the flour and start mixing with your hands. Slowly adding the rest of the flour until a smooth mixture results.

6. Once the dough is made, dust some flour on to a large plate. With the help of a spoon, form little ricotta dough mix portions, roughly the size of a whole walnut, and roll them to obtain a ball shape.

7. Once all the gnocchi are formed, melt the butter with the sage in a pan. Once it begins bubbling, add some salt and a bit of lemon juice.

8. At the same time, boil the gnocchi in the salted water for about 4 minutes. Remove, strain and place them on a plate.

9. Pour a generous amount of the burnt butter sauce over the gnocchi, shaving some more grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top. 

10. To finish, garnish the gnocchi with your desired amount of freshly grated black truffle (see note below). 

    *Gourmet Life Founder and Director, Josh Rea, recommends 10g of truffle per person, per dish. 

Wine Pairing

Best paired with a 2019 Bertani Ripasso corvina-rondinella-molinara, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy. Hailing from the rolling hills in the northwest of Verona, Italy, Valpolicella Ripasso is a tricked up, weightier version of the standard Valpol. Fermented on the previous year’s amarone skins, the wine takes on some of the character from its big brother.

Cherries, both dried and fresh, wrapped up in some elegant acidity. This is a food friendly, Italian red of the first order appointed by Civico 47’s Sommelier and Manager, Luke Collard. Deserving of a ricotta and spinach gnocchi with burnt butter, sage and Australian black truffle pairing.