I love making pasta. There are so many different kinds of shapes you can make, and they are all perfect for different functions. Stuffed pasta is great for keeping a filling and a sauce distinct, noodles are great for soaking up a sauce or broth, and for the case of gnocchi, they are great for being a fluffy, pillow texture to break up the usual textures you may find in a dish. I wanted to make ricotta gnocchi in this case, because it’s so much easier than potato gnocchi, and with all of the work that goes into the brodo(Italian broth) that you’re serving this with, you probably would want an easier component to make. With bone broths, I love simmering them for hours, and then taking the meat off of those bones and using them in either a ragout or to serve with the pasta. This dish, it reminds me of winters in Boston, where I would be hulled up in my apartment due to the crappy weather, soaking in carbs and warm stews to give myself any reason to not be completely miserable.

For the brodo:
1 pound pork bones
1 pound lamb bones
2 lamb shanks
2 onions
2 bay leaf
5 cloves of garlic
water
salt
oil

In a large pot, sweat onions, bay leaf, and garlic in the oil and sear the bones in the oil as well. Pour water into the pot and fill it until the bones are all submerged. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 5 hours. Remove and shock the bones and shanks. Shred the meat off of the bones and reserve for the ragout. Allow the brodo to reduce down until you have about 1 cup of liquid left.

For the ragout:
Reserved lamb and pork meat
1 shallot, minced
1 carrot, cut into smaller pieces.
1/4 cup cauliflower florets
2 stalks of kale, stems removed
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup brodo
oil
a pinch of salt
a pinch of pepper
a pinch of paprika
a pinch of cumin

Sweat out garlic, carrot, shallot, cauliflower, and the spices in the oil and toss in the meat. Once the cauliflower is browned, deglaze with the brodo and simmer on low heat. Finish with chiffonaded kale leaves.

For the ricotta gnocchi:
6 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons brown butter
3 tablespoons brodo

Strain the ricotta cheese with a cheese cloth to remove excess moisture. Combine your ingredients into a dough. Roll out on a floured surface into 1/2 inch thick logs, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Roll on either a fork or a gnocchi board to create your ridges. Blanch the gnocchi in salted boiling water. Sear in the brown butter. Deglaze with the brodo and toss in the ragout.

To plate:
Microherbs
Parmesan cheese

To garnish the finished plate, finish with the microherbs and finely grated parmesan cheese on top.