Go Naked with Gnudi

Gnudi, are gnocchi-like dumplings made with ricotta cheese instead of potato. The result is a lighter, "pillowy" dish, unlike the often denser, chewier gnocchi. Gnudi is an English-adopted Tuscan word for the Italian term "nudi" (naked), the idea being that these "pillowy" balls of ricotta and spinach (sometimes without spinach, which is also known as ricotta gnocchi) are "nude ravioli", consisting of just the tasty filling without the pasta shell. By tradition, in Tuscany, these dumplings are served with brown butter and sage sauce, sprinkled with Parmigiano or Pecorino Toscano cheese.

If you like gnocchi, ravioli, and tortellini, but not the carbs? Gnudi is essentially, a dumpling that has no pasta wrapping. Essentially, gnudi are a low-carb way to enjoy a pasta-like meal.

GNOCCHI VERSUS GNUDI Gnocchi, the Italian word for dumplings, are chewy pillows that are shaped into little balls. They are most often made with white potatoes, then boiled. They can be flavored: basil or spinach.

Gnocchi is served with butter and grated Parmesan cheese or a beautiful tomato sauce.

Gnudi, are much lighter than gnocchi and much easier to make. Gnudi, traditional Tuscan ricotta dumplings, gnudi consist of pasta filling that one might find inside tortellini or ravioli—shaped into small balls without the outside dough wrapping.

This is why they are also referred to as nude ravioli or naked ravioli.

The dumplings can be sautéed with brown butter and sage sauce, sprinkled with Parmigiano Romano or Pecorino cheese. The ricotta is often mixed with spinach and parmesan, to create gnudi di ricotta e spinaci. The gnudi are sautéed or baked. You can serve them simply sautéed in olive oil or butter, with grated cheese or tomato sauce.

You can go as sophisticated as you like, like the gnudi in a mushroom sauce I will be showing here.

THE HISTORY OF GNUDI, it’s difficult to find much on the origin of gnudi. Pasta-followers may recall from our history of pasta that the pasta Marco Polo brought back from China is believed to have been “pillow pasta” like ravioli, the Italian spin on Chinese wontons. Thus, if gnudi did pre-date stuffed pasta, they predated Marco Polo’s introduction of it.

Even though they end up on pasta menus, gnudi are dumplings rather than pasta.

GNUDI RECIPE WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH.

Ingredients:

1 pound of ricotta cheese

1 pound all-purpose, semolina, or 00 flour (I used double zero flour to make the ones I made)

½ cup Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

½ cup Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

3 tablespoons of melted butter

1 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg

2 medium-size eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

(Optional) add blanched and chopped spinach

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix using a large wooden spoon.

Empty the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead the mixture until it comes together. Do not over-knead of the gnudi will become chewy when cooked.

Sprinkle semolina flour on sheet trays or storage boxes.

Begin to form small balls of gnudi mixture by rolling it in the palm of your hand. Do not compress the ball too much as to keep the gnudi light when cooked.

Place the formed gnudi on the prepared trays of boxes and sprinkle a generous amount of semolina flour over them to keep them from sticking together.

Placed the formed gnudi in the refrigerator and allow them to cure in the semolina flour for one to three days.

To cook the gnudi place them in salted boiling water for about six or seven minutes and then finish them in the sauce of your choice.

I did them two ways, one with a mushroom and butter sauce and a second in tomato sauce.

Follow the link below for an instructional video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EifYMqF9DXg

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Alla prossima!

Buon cibo e buon appetito!

Chef John