SERVES 4
Gnudi (pronounced “nude-y”), so called because it’s based on just ricotta and Parmesan—the filling without the pasta—is gnocchi’s lighter cousin. Draining the ricotta before mixing the dough ensures a moist but not wet gnudi. You’ll need to reserve an hour or two for the gnudi to set in the refrigerator, where the semolina will coat the ricotta to add texture to the finished dish. This elegantly simple dish gets a memorable finish: butter-bathed morels and English peas, with a drizzle of truffle oil added at the end. With vegetable stock used for the morels and peas, this is a meal that vegetarians at the table will welcome.
1½ cups sheep’s milk ricotta cheese, drained
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
½ cup all-purpose flour
Semolina flour, for dusting
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 fresh sage leaves
3 shallots, finely diced
2 large dried morels, soaked and drained
½ cup vegetable or chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
⅔ cup fresh or frozen English peas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Truffle oil, for garnish
Shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish
IN a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne and whisk until well combined. With a spatula, fold in the flour, taking care not to overwork the dough. Cover and chill for 1–2 hours.
REMOVE the dough from the refrigerator. Dust a rimmed baking sheet generously with semolina flour. Using 2 tablespoons of equal size, shape the gnudi dough into football shapes or quenelles; place them on the baking sheet.
BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil while you make the sauce.
IN a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the shallots to the pan and sauté until translucent, about 2–3 minutes. Chop the morels, add them to the pan, and cook 2 more minutes.
ADD ½ cup vegetable or chicken stock and reduce until by half. Add the heavy cream to pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Keep warm while you cook the gnudi.
GRADUALLY add the gnudi to the pot, making sure the water stays at a gentle boil. Within 1–2 minutes, the gnudi will rise to the surface. Continue cooking until they are cooked through and tender, 5–6 minutes. Gently remove them with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate and reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
JUST before serving, stir the peas into the mushroom mixture over medium heat and season with salt and pepper. Add the gnudi to the sauce and gently toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add just enough of the cooking liquid to loosen and smooth it out. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes.
DIVIDE the gnudi between 4 dinner bowls. Top with the morel-peas sauce. Garnish with the sage leaves, drizzle with truffle oil, and top with shaved Parmesan cheese.