Ricotta Gnocchi with Spinach & Gorgonzola

Mother's Day 2022. The annual tradition continues in this kitchen that has held every holiday since I started cooking through cancer and came out the other side with a cast iron skillet and a refusal to stop. I am 39 and Mother's Day means what it has always meant: too much food, the right people, and the gratitude spoken aloud because life taught me that gratitude unspoken is gratitude wasted.

The table is full. Mason (11) and Lily (9) are here, growing taller and more themselves with each passing year. Tom is here, beside me, where he has been since the day he showed up with wildflowers and patience and the quiet understanding that love is not a grand gesture but a daily one.

Brett is here — always here, every holiday, every Wednesday, the constant brother in the wheelchair who has been my anchor since we were children on a ranch that no longer exists. Kyle calls from wherever the Army has him, and his voice on the phone is the voice of the brother who left and came back and left again, and the leaving and returning is the rhythm of this family.

I made lemon pasta this week, because Mother's Day demands the food that says: I am here, you are here, we are together, and together is the only word that matters. The recipe is the same as last year and the year before and all the years stretching back to the ranch kitchen where Diane stood at 6 AM making cinnamon rolls for a family that ate them without knowing they were eating love. I know now. I've always known. And I make the food and serve it and watch my family eat and think: this. This is why I survived. For this table. For this food. For these people. For this.

The lemon pasta has its place in this kitchen and always will, but this year I turned to ricotta gnocchi — pillowy, handmade, the kind of dish that demands you slow down and pay attention — because after everything this table has held, I wanted something that felt like effort made visible, like love you can taste in every bite. Gorgonzola is bold and the spinach keeps it honest, and together they make something that feels exactly right for a Mother’s Day that is, at its heart, about people who are bold enough to keep showing up for each other.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, drained
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 oz fresh baby spinach
3 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup heavy cream
Fresh cracked black pepper and extra Parmesan, to serve

Instructions

Make the dough. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth. Add the flour and stir gently until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overwork it.
Shape the gnocchi. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. Roll each portion into a 3/4-inch-thick rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet and set aside.
Boil the water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat.
Make the sauce. While the water heats, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the heavy cream and Gorgonzola and stir until the cheese melts into a smooth, creamy sauce, about 2—3 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Cook the gnocchi. Working in two batches, drop the gnocchi into the boiling water. Cook until they float to the surface, then continue cooking for 1 additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
Finish with spinach. Increase the skillet heat to medium. Add the spinach to the Gorgonzola sauce and toss until just wilted, about 1—2 minutes. Add the cooked gnocchi and a splash of pasta water, tossing gently to coat everything in the sauce.
Serve. Divide among warm bowls. Finish with cracked black pepper and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ricotta Gnocchi with Spinach & Gorgonzola — The Pasta That Says We Are Together