Roasted Lamb Loin with Ricotta Gnudi and White Truffle Oil

I love that I am seeing more and more lamb loin roasts, if for nothing else, one more option in cut.  If you are not feeding a large crew, or maybe feeding only two, it's nice to be able to do a petite roast rather than a leg of lamb.  When buying a loin roast, make sure there is a thin layer of fat on top to help keep it moist and juicy when cooking.  


For the lamb, marinate in the following for a couple of hours (or more)
1 lb grass fed lamb loin roast
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp grape seed oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
several turns of freshly ground black pepper
When coating the lamb, I also pushed some of the marinade into the middle of the tied roast.  The roast will be two pieces of lamb loin tied together into a log shaped piece.

Remove lamb from the refrigerator and let come to room temp before roasting.  Remove lamb from marinade and place on a foil lined baking pan.  Roast at 400f for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until center temp is 135, for medium rare.  Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.  Drizzle with a little white truffle honey to serve.


For the Ricotta Gnudi, I followed this recipe from Epicurious, minus their sauce:
1 lb fresh whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup freshly grated pecorino romano
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
pinch of ground white pepper
3/4 cup flour 


Remove excess liquid from the ricotta by putting it on several paper towels placed over  a strainer.  Let it drain for at least 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the pecorino, egg, salt, white pepper and then mix in the ricotta.  Sprinkle the flour on top and mix together gently.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour.  


Line a large baking sheet with plastic wrap.  Place some flour in a bowl.  To make the gnudi, roll a teaspoon of dough into a ball.  Roll the ball in the flour to coat and press gently into short log. Place on the baking sheet.  You can do this up to 4 hours ahead of time.  Keep chilled.


Fry some fresh sage leaves in a little olive oil.  I used a little of the oil from the fennel and carrot confit from Friday night.   
Cook the gnudi in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 6-7 minutes.
To serve, place a few sage leaves on top of the gnudi, drizzle with a little of the olive oil from frying the sage, along with a drizzle of white truffle oil.  Finish with freshly grated pecorino romano.


The lamb was excellent with the white truffle honey.  A stellar combo.