Gnudi
Photography: LAURA BAMFORD
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Gnudi

This charmingly named dish means ‘nude’ and refers to the fact that these dumplings are essentially the filling for a popular ravioli dish, minus their pasta coats. They are almost always served in a simple but elegant sauce of sage and sweet, just-melted, butter. The key is to not use flour inside the dumplings, which can often make them heavy and even gummy. Just a dusting on the outside helps them keep their light and fluffy shape. Prepare these fresh just before you cook them – they don't do well when made ahead of time or frozen.
Photography: LAURA BAMFORD

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Serves
4
Total Time
32 Minutes
Ingredients
350g of firm ricotta (see note)
300g of cooked, drained and chopped English spinach (about 1kg fresh)
2 eggs, beaten
A pinch of salt
A pinch of ground nutmeg
50g of plain (all-purpose) flour
50g of unsalted butter
20 sage leaves
40g of grated parmesan, to serve
Method
Step 1

Make the gnudi by mixing the ricotta, cooked spinach and eggs until well combined. Add the salt and nutmeg. You should have a thick, compact mixture.

Step 2

Place the flour in a bowl. With floured hands, roll walnut-sized spoonfuls of mixture into the flour to coat and then place on a lightly floured plate or board until they are all ready.

Step 3

Prepare a large pot of simmering, salted water and set over a low heat. Carefully drop the gnudi one by one into the water and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until they begin to float.

Step 4

In the meantime, prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a frying pan. Add the sage leaves and 2-3 spoonfuls of the cooking water and swirl the pan to create a thick sauce.

Step 5

Season with salt and pepper. When the gnudi are ready, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place them in the sauce. Turn the heat to low.

Step 6

Swirl the pan gently to coat the gnudi in the sauce for 1 minute and serve with cheese.

Note

If you can, buy your ricotta from a delicatessen rather than the supermarket and go for the ricotta that is usually sold by weight and is firm enough to stand on its own. This type of ricotta, with a slightly crumbly texture, is closer to the real thing from Italy. Tubs of ricotta from the supermarket have an entirely different texture – smooth, watery, more like thick yoghurt – that will affect the result of this recipe. If your ricotta is watery, leave it to drain for an hour before using it in a sieve lined with a dish towel over a bowl. Discard the liquid.

Florentine by Emiko Davies (Hardie Grant, £20) Photography ©Lauren Bamford

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