Gnudi is an Italian gnocchi like dumpling made with ricotta cheese instead of potato and of course I made THREE versions to taste test. Absolutely delicious and such a treat! Yes this would be considered a second course (like a pasta course) in Italian cooking. Gnudi is actually the Tuscan word for ‘naked’, essentially, these are naked ravioli (just the filling) that are held together with some semolina or all purpose flour. Be cautious while cooking because gnudi can fall apart if there is not enough flour or semolina added. I usually make sure to test one rolled out ball before rolling the rest. Test just incase you need to add more ap flour or semolina. The amount of flour or semolina needed cannot be determined exactly. Adding more or less flour/semolina is determined by how much water you are able to get out of your ricotta and boiled spinach. You want to add just enough flour and semolina to that is stale together but remained tender.
Gnudi (Three Ways)
Pick one recipe for serving size written.
Ingredients
Version 1 and 2
- 1/2 pound 225 grams spinach, boiled and drained
- 250 grams 1 cup of ricotta, drained
- 3/4 cups of grated parmesan not packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2-3/4 cups of all purpose flour version 1 OR semolina flour (version 2) plus more for coating
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- To Serve
- Red Sauce
- Butter sage and lemon
Version 3
- 300 grams 1 cup of ricotta
- 3/4 cups of grated parmesan not packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups of semolina flour for coating
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
Version 1 and 2
- Take your ricotta and place in a cheese cloth or a clean dry Kitchen towel, you want to squeeze out as much liquid from your ricotta. You can keep your ricotta wrapped up in the clean kitchen towel for about 20-30 minutes to dry it out as much as possible. If using a cheesecloth, you can try and suspend your cheese cloth over a bowl so water drips out. Set aside.
- Boil your spinach and rest on sieve over a bowl to cool and drain for about 20 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to press the spinach so that water is pushed out. You want the spinach as dry as possible. Set aside.
- Chop your spinach when it is dry and place that in a large bowl and add your ricotta.
- Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and egg and use a fork to mix all the ingredients together so they are well combined.
- Add your grated parmesan and mix in.
- Add about 1/2 cup of flour OR semolina and mix in. Your dough should be firm and come together easily. If your dough seems a little wet add flour OR semolina little by little until it is firm. I usually use a little over 1/2 cup of flour or semolina.
- Grab a large serving dish and place flour in the dish. Divide your dough into 14 balls, I use a tablespoon. It will be tacky souse the flour you have set aside to help you roll out your balls in your palm. You may make bigger or smaller balls and this will increase or decrease your total number. You can make them as big as a golf ball or slightly smaller. You want to coat each ball in a layer of flour, and set aside until you are ready to boil.
- TIP: BEFORE DIVIDING YOUR DOUGH AND FORMING GNUDI, form a slightly smaller ball, a tester, and coat in flour. In a pot of boiling water, test it out to see if it falls apart. when it floats, it means it is ready. Taste test and check for texture, flavour and its durability while it cooks. You may need to adjust seasoning or perhaps add more flour or semolina to keep your dough balls firmer.
- Place a pot of water on the stove and salt generously. I don’t make mine as salty as pasta water (as salty as the ocean), but I place a large pinch of salt in my water.
- The pot of water should be very hot but should not have a rolling boil (large bubbles). While the water is heating up, your formed balls can rest slightly.
- Carefully place your formed gnudi into the water and boil for under 5 minutes until they float.
- Carefully remove from your pot of water and serve as desired.
- Serving Suggestion 1: For serving, you may either space gnudi on a plate and serve with your favourite red Italian sauce. Enjoy with more parmesan on top!
- Serving Suggestion 2: Alternatively you can brown butter in a pan with sage and a squeeze of lemon. Carefully place your gnudi in your pan with brown butter and sage and carefully spoon brown butter over your gnudi. Plate it up and enjoy with more parmesan on top!
Version 3
- Take your ricotta and place in a cheese cloth or a clean dry Kitchen towel, you want to squeeze out as much liquid from your ricotta. You can keep your ricotta wrapped up in the clean kitchen towel for about 20-30 minutes to dry it out as much as possible. If using a cheesecloth, you can try and suspend your cheese cloth over a bowl so water drips out. Set aside. After draining you get less total weight of ricotta.
- In a large bowl and add your ricotta.
- Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and egg and use a fork to mix all the ingredients together so they are well combined.
- Add your grated parmesan and mix in.
- Grab a large serving dish or baking sheet and place semolina into the dish. Divide your dough into 14 balls, I use a tablespoon. It will be tacky so literally scoop the ricotta mixture and place a blob of the mixture in the serving dish with semolina.
- When all the dough is divided, use your hand to coat the dollops of ricotta into semolina so they can be rolled out in your hands forming as perfect of a sphere are you can make.
- The semolina coated ricotta, should be placed back in the sheet of semolina, and more semolina added over top to make sure all the balls are properly coated. You essentially want to get as much semolina on the outside of these spheres so an outer shell can form.
- Place these semolina coated spheres in the fridge to dry for 12-24 hours, I keep them uncovered. You want the semolina coating to dry and harden so that they hold together when cooking.
- When ready to cook after at least 12 hours, place a pot of water on the stove and salt generously. I don’t make mine as salty as pasta water (as salty as the ocean), but I place a large pinch of salt in my water.
- The pot of water should be very hot but should not have a rolling boil (large bubbles).
- Remove your gnudi from the fridge, and very very carefully place your formed gnudi into the water and boil for under 5 minutes until they float. They are extremely fragile so a light touch is definitely needed.
- Serving Suggestion: Remove from water and you serve with sage and brown butter with a squeeze of lemon. Carefully place your gnudi in your pan with brown butter and sage and carefully spoon brown butter over your gnudi. Plate it up and enjoy with more parmesan on top!
