Serves 4 · 55 minutes plus 30 minutes of resting time · Medium difficulty
Gnudi are ricotta and spinach filling that decided to go without the pasta shell. A dish of Tuscan cuisine that is as simple as it is delicate: everything depends on the moisture of the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 500 g well-drained cow's milk ricotta
- 400 g fresh spinach, to be cooked and squeezed
- 1 egg
- 70 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 50–80 g flour, plus extra for dusting
- Nutmeg, salt and pepper
- 60 g butter and 8 sage leaves for serving
Step-by-step instructions
- Let the ricotta drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes. If it is very moist, leave it in the refrigerator for longer.
- Wash the spinach and wilt it in a pan with very little water. Let it cool slightly, squeeze it out firmly and chop it finely.
- Mix the ricotta, spinach, egg, Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add about 50 g of flour: add a little more if the mixture does not hold its shape.
- With lightly floured hands, shape large walnut-sized ovals. Arrange them on a floured tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil; try cooking a single gnudo first. If it breaks, dry out the mixture with a little more flour.
- Cook a few gnudi at a time in gently simmering water, without stirring vigorously. When they rise to the surface, wait about 1 minute and remove them with a slotted spoon.
- Serve with melted butter flavored with sage and a little Parmigiano.
Why do gnudi fall apart?
Almost always because of the water retained by the ricotta and spinach. Squeezing them out well is more important than adding a lot of flour: too much would make them hard.
Can they be prepared in advance?
You can shape them and keep them well covered in the refrigerator for a few hours before cooking. Avoid stacking them.
Our butter and sage pasta · Where to eat fresh pasta in Tuscany.