Fresh Herb-Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter and Sage
Hard to pronounce (say NYEW-dy) but lovely to taste, i gnudi are gnocchi by another name, light little puffs of ricotta, spinach, and fresh garden herbs. So what are these dumplings doing in a book about pasta? The explanation is simple: In Tuscany, gnudi are “nude” ravioli, that is, ravioli without the pasta envelope on the outside. Think of these as pasta without pasta.
We can’t stress enough the importance of using well-drained ricotta in this recipe. It’s best if you can let the ricotta sit in a sieve over a bowl overnight.
Gnudi are traditionally made with spinach and ricotta, but in springtime when garden herbs start to poke out of the dark earth and turn green, when they are at their most delicate and the flavor is not yet fully pronounced, that’s when we like to make these gnudi with a big handful of what’s available—chives, sorrel, lovage, thyme, parsley, basil, mint, tarragon—growing in the garden, or on display at the produce stand. Be a little cautious with strongly flavored herbs such as mint, lovage, and basil—too much of them will dominate the mixture.
Pick over the herbs carefully, discarding any brown leaves and tough stems. Rinse the herbs thoroughly and dry before chopping. Chop very fine.
SERVES 6
About 1 pound ricotta, well drained, to make 1½ cups
2 cups or more finely chopped mixed herbs (see headnote)
¾ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus a little more for flouring the gnudi
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
6 fresh sage leaves, or 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
Combine the ricotta and mixed herbs in a bowl and beat together with a fork; or use your hands to combine thoroughly. Add the ¾ cup grated parmigiano and mix again. Sift 4 tablespoons of the flour over the mixture and combine. (The remaining flour may be added if necessary after you’ve added the egg.)
Taste for salt and add if necessary, keeping in mind that the cheese may be quite salty. Add pepper too, and stir in the egg. Take up a spoonful of the mixture and shape it into a gnudo the size of a walnut. The mixture should hold together; if it doesn’t, add another tablespoon of flour, but be careful not to make it too dense.
Bring about 3 quarts of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When the water boils, add a spoonful of salt. Test a couple of gnudi to make sure they are holding together. If they don’t hold, mix in a little more flour, a tablespoon or so at a time.
Once you are sure the dough is working, prepare the gnudi: Spread a layer of flour on a dinner plate or platter. Shape the ricotta mixture into walnut-size balls, slightly flattened, and set them on the floured plate, then sift or shake more flour over the tops to cover them lightly.
When the water is boiling, turn the heat down to maintain a steady simmer. Gently roll the balls in the flour and drop, a few at a time, into the boiling water. Let the gnudi poach until they rise to the surface, then leave them to cook a few minutes longer. Remove each one with a slotted spoon and set aside in a warm place while you finish with all the gnudi.
Pile the gnudi in a warm serving bowl, or serve them on separate warm plates, 4 to each serving.
Heat the butter in a small skillet until it starts to brown, then add the sage leaves (if using), and continue cooking just a minute or two until the sage leaves start to crisp. Pour the brown butter and sage over the gnudi and serve immediately. Or pour the brown butter over and add a small handful of grated cheese, passing more at the table.