Posted on 11/11/2016
On cold winter evenings, this elegant, well-balanced traditional Tuscan dish will bring warmth and delight to your table. Serve them with a glass of chilled Corvo Bianco, buon appetito!
To serve 6:
– 600 gr fresh spinach
– 1 egg
– 400 gr sheep’s milk or cow’s milk ricotta as preferred
– About 50 gr plain flour for the mixture and 50gr to dust the gnudi
– 1 clove garlic
– Salt and pepper
– Cooking salt
– Extra virgin olive oil
– Parmesan cheese
– Nutmeg
– Butter
– Sage leaves
– Tomato puree
– Basil
Step 1 – To make the gnudi, first place the ricotta into a colander for a couple of hours to drain any excess whey. In the meantime, clean the spinach and gently fry the garlic clove in a drizzle of olive oil. When it is golden, remove the garlic, add the spinach to the pan, cover and let it wilt for about ten minutes. Alternatively, you can cook the spinach in salted water. Once cooled, squeeze out all the excess liquid and chop finely.
Step 2 – In a large bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, a good grating of nutmeg, the egg and a generous quantity of grated parmesan. Finally, add the sifted flour and mix well.
Step 3 – Once you have a smooth, fairly firm mixture (add a little more sifted flour if it’s too loose), wet your hands and form into balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Dredge with flour and shakes of the excess then space them out on a sheet of baking parchment.
Step 4 – In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to the boil and drop the gnudi in to cook for a few minutes. When they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a frying pan where you have melted the butter with the sage leaves. Do not turn them over in the pan as they could break up, just shake the pan gently. Serve hot. As an alternative to sage butter, you can also dress your gnudi with a simple tomato and basil sauce.
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