For Mother's Day, we asked Boston chefs to share a family recipe that they loved making with a maternal figure in their life. Carla and Christine Pallotta, sisters, and Chef/owners, at Nebo , shared this family recipe, one of many that inspire the authentic Italian cuisine they serve at their restaurant.
“Ma's influence is what made up open a restaurant,” they told us. “It's a way of keeping our mother and grandmother's legacy going. Growing up, we were so proud all the time. Our friends would always come over, even on Mother's Day, and our mother would cook for everybody. I think it was her way of showing us how much she loved us.”
The Pallotta Sisters' Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas
Ingredients:
- 1 pound container of whole ricotta cheese
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 small onion sliced thin
- 16 ounce can of peas (we grew up using Le Sueur, very young sweet peas), half the juice drained
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Directions:
In a large bowl, empty the ricotta cheese, saving the container. Fill the empty container to the top with flour (you will have extra flour leftover.)
Empty the container of flour into the bowl. Mix with your hands until the flour is incorporated into the ricotta enough to form a dough. It should be very soft but not sticky. If needed, add a little flour at a time.
Put a small handful of extra flour on the counter. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead until smooth. Cut the dough into eight pieces and cover with the bowl, so it doesn’t dry out.
Take each piece of dough, one a time, and roll into a long rope about 1-inch thick, as if rolling playdough into a long strip. Cut each long rope into 1-inch pieces. With two fingers, roll the pieces towards you, pressing down lightly.
After all the gnocchi is made, boil a large pot of water and add three tablespoons of salt.
Time to make the sauce: in a large sauté pan, heat olive oil, and onion; sauté until translucent. Add the peas and juice from the can. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and let cook for 10 minutes, then shut off the heat.
Add the gnocchi to boiling water. When the gnocchi rise to the top, cook for 1 minute more. Drain and add to the cooked peas; heat for one minute. Put in bowl and top with grated pecorino as desired. Enjoy!
