Gnudi Ricotta And Spinach Dumplings Recipes

GNUDI - "NAKED" RICOTTA AND SPINACH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Put the ricotta cheese in a sieve over a bowl and leave to drain in the fridge for a few hours.
• Wilt the spinach in a pan until it reduces significantly in size and loses plenty of water.
• Squeeze as much water as you can out of the spinach by rolling in a tea towel and twisting it over the sink.
• Chop the spinach finely.
• In a bowl, mix together the spinach and the cheeses gently. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a good grating of nutmeg. Mix gently but thoroughly.
• On a floured surface, form balls of the mixture and roll in the flour to coat well. Aim to make around 12 dumplings.
• To cook, place a few at a time into boiling, unsalted water and remove from the water with a slotted spoon as soon as they float (a minute or so).
• Serve with butter, sage and parmesan cheese or a simple tomato sauce.

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.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNUDI WITH SAGE BUTTER

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, 1 to 2 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 (you should have 1 scant cup).
• Stir together spinach puree, cheeses, salt, pepper, egg yolks, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons flour in a bowl.
• Mound remaining 1/2 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. Repeat. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour or until ready to cook (up to overnight).
• 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 to, and remain on, surface, about 7 minutes. Repeat with remaining gnudi.
• Meanwhile, warm 4 plates. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat until dark golden brown. Stir in chopped sage and the sage leaves. Add a little gnudi cooking water to the sauce to loosen.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove gnudi, shaking off excess water, and transfer to plates. Drizzle with sage butter and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.

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.