Gnudi Recipes

GNUDI RECIPE - TRADITIONAL TUSCAN DUMPLINGS WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• BOILING SPINACHFirst, rinse the spinach leaves thoroughly and cook them 5 minutes in boiling water; then raise and pour the vegetables into iced water to stop the cooking and save the bright color. After that, squeeze the spinach a little at a time: it's critical eliminate as much water as possible. Finally, mince the spinach.
• GNUDI DOUGHNow, combine in a bowl the spinach with ricotta, eggs, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 7 tbsp of flour, 2 pinches of nutmeg, 2 pinches of black pepper, and 2 pinches of salt. Whisk and knead the mixture until consistent, them store in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for at least 1 hour up to 24 hours.
• BUTTER AND SAGEMelt the butter in a large pan, then sauté the sage over medium heat until the butter starts to become lightly brown.
• GNUDI DUMPLINGSDivide the Gnudi dough into 20 parts, the roll in the flour shaping them into balls. Now, boil the dumplings into boiling water salted with 4.5 tbsp of coarse salt. Cook a couple of minutes then raise with a slotted spoon and season with the butter and sage. Be careful because the Gnudi are very delicate.
• SERVING GNUDIServe Gnudi immediately, with or without a spoon of fresh tomato sauce (here the recipe) and a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano and black pepper.

RICOTTA GNUDI WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Line a sieve with a piece of muslin or a new J-cloth and place over a bowl. Tip the ricotta into the cloth, gently gather up the ends and secure with an elastic band. Leave the ricotta to drain for 4 hrs.
• Transfer the drained ricotta to a clean bowl. Beat in the hard cheese, egg yolk, a good grating of nutmeg, then season well. Tip the semolina into a baking dish or large plastic container. Wet your hands, dip them in the semolina and, working quickly, scoop 1 heaped tsp of the ricotta mix into your hands and gently roll into a ball (don't worry if it's not perfect). Place the ball in the semolina dish and roll around so that it is totally covered. Pick it up and roll between the palms of your hands to create a smooth ball, then pop back into the semolina. Continue with the rest of the mixture. You should make about 24 balls. Once all the balls are formed and are sitting in the semolina, cover loosely with baking parchment (not cling film), put the dish in the fridge and leave to chill for at least 12 hrs, although 24 hrs is better - this is so the balls of ricotta form a skin around the outside.
• When ready to serve, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and lower in half the gnudi. Cook gently for 2-3 mins - they're ready when they float to the top - then scoop out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sieve. Repeat with the remaining gnudi. Slowly melt the butter in a small frying pan. Add the sage leaves, making sure they don't overlap, and let them sizzle until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. If the butter has turned a nutty brown, remove from the heat; if not, continue to bubble until lightly browned. Divide the gnudi between warmed plates, drizzle over the browned butter, top with the sage and pine nuts, and serve with grated cheese, black pepper and a rocket & red onion salad.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNUDI

Steps:

• For the gnudi: Mix the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, flour, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and eggs together. Make 2 small balls and test cook by placing them in boiling water until they float, then shock in iced water. Taste. If they are too soft and don't hold together, add more flour or breadcrumbs and test again.
• Portion all of the gnudi and roll into balls. Cook in boiling water until they float, about 2 minutes, and shock in iced water. Coat in olive oil and reserve until ready to serve.
• For the porcini puree: To caramelize the shallots, heat a large saute pan over high heat, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, then add the shallots. Allow to color on one side, then lower the heat and stir. Slowly cook until soft and sweet, about 5 minutes. Saute the mushrooms together with the shallots until lightly colored and tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and chili, and sweat for an additional 3 minutes. Pour the liquid from the hydrated porcini mushrooms into the pan. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the contents into a blender and puree until the consistency is smooth. Add water if the mixture gets too thick in the blender and it stops moving. Add olive oil while blending to finish and taste for seasoning. Strain the sauce. Reserve until ready to serve.
• To serve: Warm the porcini puree and reserve. Reheat the gnudi in a pan with salted simmering water and the melted butter. Plate the porcini puree, place gnudi on top and top with Parmesan cheese.

GNUDI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and yolks. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and flour. Form mixture in to small, flattened balls.
• Dredge the formed gnudi in flour to coat, tapping off the excess. Slide formed gnudi into the boiling water. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; work in batches if necessary. Remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon after they float to the top and have cooked for about 4 minutes.
• Arrange gnudi on a platter and lightly drizzle with marinara sauce.

GNUDI

Steps:

• Fit a large pot with a steamer insert. Add enough water to come about 3 inches below bottom of insert, and bring to a simmer. Add spinach, cover, and steam until bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly. Press to remove liquid. Roll spinach in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze to remove any remaining liquid. Transfer to a food processor, and puree until smooth. Stir together spinach puree, egg yolks, cheeses and nutmeg.
• Mound 1-cup flour on a cutting board. Using floured hands, gently shape 1 tablespoon spinach mixture into a small log. Drop it into the flour, and quickly roll to coat lightly. Transfer to a baking sheet that's lightly dusted with semolina.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add half the gnudi, and stir gently to prevent them from sticking together. Cook until gnudi rise and remain on the surface, about 5 minutes. Remove to a platter. Repeat with remaining gnudi. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chopped sage and the sage leaves. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons gnudi cooking water, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with the gnudi.

BASIL GNUDI

Steps:

• In a pan over a low heat, add a splash of water, pick in two-thirds of the basil leaves and heat until wilted. Take it off the hob, leave to cool, then carefully squeeze out the excess water.
• Pop the leaves in a blender with 75g of the ricotta and blitz to a purée. Transfer it to a large bowl along with the remaining ricotta and eggs, grate in the Parmesan and whisk vigorously, until light and airy.
• Using a large metal spoon, fold the flour into the ricotta mixture, adding a little more if it's too sticky - it needs to be soft and moist.
• Sprinkle a 5mm layer of semolina flour over a baking tray, and fill a piping bag with the ricotta mixture, cutting a 1.5cm opening. Pipe long strips of the gnudi mixture down the tray, about 1.5cm apart.
• Sprinkle the strips with another thick layer of semolina flour, then cut them into 2-3cm pieces, making sure the gnudi are well coated in the flour. Cover the tray with clingfilm and pop it in the fridge overnight.
• To cook your gnudi, remove the tray from the fridge and let it to come up to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over a low heat and pick in most of the reserved basil leaves. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the butter starts to bubble and the leaves have crisped up. Finely grate in the zest of the lemon and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil over a medium heat and gently lower the gnudi into the pan with a slotted spoon. Once they float to the surface, they're cooked - this should take about 1 minute.
• Remove them with a slotted spoon and gently toss them in the lemon butter. Divide between 6 bowls and grate over the pecorino and serve with the rest of the basil leaves on top. Halve the zested lemon and serve on the side for squeezing over.

BAKED GNUDI, TUSCAN RICOTTA AND SPINACH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• First of all, prepare all ingredients.
• Drain the ricotta of the whey. If you need, help yourself with a fork and a strainer.
• If you use fresh spinach, boil them in salted water for about 8/10 minutes. After that, squeeze them very well and chop finely with a knife or scissors.
• Chop the shallot or the onion for the tomato sauce
• Preheat your oven: to 180° degrees C (350° degrees F) if fan oven, otherwise 190° degrees C (375° degrees F) if conventional oven.

GNUDI (RICOTTA GNOCCHI)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add basil and cook uncovered until just wilted, about 1 minute. Immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain. Squeeze very dry and finely chop.
• Mix ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup flour, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, egg yolks, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add basil, white pepper, and salt; mix until gnudi mixture is well-combined.
• Dust your hands with remaining 1/4 cup flour and form gnudi mixture into small balls.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add lemon juice. Boil gnudi in batches until they float to the top of the water, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.

RICOTTA GNUDI RECIPE

Steps:

• Press the moisture out of the ricotta. See notes for detailed instructions.
• In a large bowl, using a rubber scraper or wooden spoon, mix together the egg yolks and the drained ricotta cheese.
• Sprinkle in the salt and the flour.
• Using gentle folds, incorporate the flour and salt into the ricotta and egg mixture.
• Do not overwork the dough. It will be sticky. Extra flour can be used as you roll out the gnudi.
• Continue on to rolling or piping out the gnudi.

RICOTTA GNUDI WITH BROWNED BUTTER

Steps:

• Put the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, nutmeg, pepper, egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup of the flour in a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork. Continue to mix until the dough comes together and forms a ball, adding an additional 1/4 cup flour if needed.
• Lightly flour your hands and roll the mixture into quarter-sized balls; there should be 25 to 30 balls. Place the gnudi onto a lightly floured tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, add the oil, capers and sage leaves to a small saute pan. Place over medium heat and fry until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. If the sage leaves become too dark, remove them before the capers. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a low boil.
• Add the butter and sage sprig to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and continue to cook, swirling the pan in a circular motion to prevent the butter from burning, until it starts to turn golden brown and begins to smell nutty. Squeeze the juice from a lemon wedge into the pan to stop the butter from turning too dark and burning.
• Once the water is at a low boil, add the gnudi and cook until they float, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnudi directly into the browned butter. Stir to coat.
• Plate the gnudi onto a serving plate and garnish with the fried sage and capers and additional Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve with lemon wedges.