Homemade Ricotta and Ricotta Gnocchi with Sausage & Fennel Ragu

I had a gallon of whole milk and buttermilk that I needed to find a use for. Decided to make ricotta. Couldn't be easier and it is FAR superior to the store bought stuff. Found this recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/04/homemade_ricotta_cheese




RICOTTA -
8 C whole milk
2 C buttermilk

Prep colander with cheesecloth (at least doubled...recipe calls for 4 squares).
Combine milk and buttermilk in a heavy large pot. Attach a deep-fry or candy thermometer to the side of pot. Place pot on high heat and stir often. Curds will begin to form - continue to stir until the thermometer hits 175-180 degrees F. Remove from heat. Use a large slotted spoon or skimmer to transfer curds to colander. Gently gather the cheesecloth together and press to release some liquid. Let rest for 20 minutes. Transfer ricotta to a bowl with a lid - I love the Frigovere line of glass bowls with lids - gently stir in salt to taste. Cover and chill until cold, at least 2 hours.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI- that ricotta recipe only makes about 2 C of ricotta and most gnocchi recipes call for 1# so I just threw stuff in a bowl and whipped it up.

In a bowl mix together -1 egg with some salt/pepper/fresh grated nutmeg, a T +/- grated parmigiano reggiano, scant 1/3 C Flour. Add in the ricotta +/- 2 C. Scoop into quenelles (2 teaspoons scraped together to make an oval ball) or small balls. Refrigerate on a lightly floured, parchment lined sheet pan.

SAUSAGE & FENNEL RAGU - adapted from a recipe by Mario Batali - Add olive oil and the contents of 3 sausages removed from casing to a saute pan (preferably with a lid), add in diced carrot, celery, onion, chopped garlic, pinch of red chile flakes and sliced fennel. Let it cook until all vegetables are soft and golden. Add a splash of white wine (or in my case, sake). Add liquid from the top of a 28 oz. can of San Marzano whole tomatoes. Then with a hand blender, I whiz (right in the can) the whole tomatoes. Add that to the pan along with 2 T of tomato paste. Cover and let it cook on medium/low for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat until ready to cook the gnocchi.

Boil a pot of water - lightly salt. Add in the cold gnocchi - cook in two batches. Depending on size they will cook about 5-8 minutes on a gentle boil. They will become light and silky in texture. Gently add to the ragu. When all of the gnocchi are in, gently stir to combine. Parmigiano Reggiano and fennel fronds finish the plate nicely. Serve with a salad of baby arugula and a good red wine...a loaf a crusty bread would be great too...to soak up all the sauce!