• To quickly remove ricotta cheese moisture, line a plate with paper towels and spread the cheese out evenly. Place another paper towel on top and pat down to absorb excess moisture. Remove the paper and spoon cheese into a bowl; set aside.
• In a large bowl, add a can of tomatoes and carefully crush them with your hands; set aside.

GNOCCHI

• In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, egg yolk, ½ cup ricotta, salt and ½ cup flour; stir to combine before adding the remaining flour and mix again.
• On a very well-floured work surface, dump on the potato mixture. Add more flour and knead until no longer sticky (add as much flour as needed).
• Shape into a ball and divide by 4. Roll a ¼ at a time into a long tube of 1-inch, doing a back and forth motion by putting a little pressure on the middle and working your way out to the ends.
• Flour a bench scraper and cut the dough into 1-inch long pieces.
• With the back of a well-floured fork, press down on each gnocchi.
• Place gnocchi on a large baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or wax paper and transfer to the fridge for 40 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Working in batches, drop gnocchi in and as soon as they rise, remove them using a spider strainer.
• Transfer them to the sauce. Stir until gnocchi are well coated.
• Spoon onto a plate and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

RICOTTA TOMATO SAUCE

• Meanwhile, in a large deep saucepan over medium heat, add oil. When it gets hot, add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes and quickly sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add Italian seasoning, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Add ricotta cheese to the sauce and stir until very well incorporated; simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add heavy cream, stir and simmer for another 10 minutes. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.