Instructions: Sieve ricotta cheese into a mixing bowl.

Melt butter, mix half butter, half parmesan cheese and the egg yolks with ricotta. Stir in flour and seasoning to form a thick batter.

Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle. Hold piping bag over a large pot of boiling salted water and force mixture through nozzle cutting it in 2.5cm lengths with scissors or a knife.

Cook gnocchi for 5 minutes and remove from water with a slotted spoon.

Arrange gnocchi in a shallow well-buttered casserole dish, pour over remaining melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F for 10 minutes and brown under the grill until golden.

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