smittenkitchen
Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi
Soft, pillowy cheese dumplings fried in browned butter and sage are the perfect fall food, a little decadent yet somehow just as cozy as a scarf on a blustery day.
👥 16 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 45 min👤 deb📖 smittenkitchen
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●cutting board
- ●pot
- ●skillet
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Make the gnudi: In small fistfuls, squeeze your spinach to remove all excess water. You can rest it on a paper towel to help wick away the moisture while you gather your other ingredients.
2
On a cutting board, finely chop the wrung-out spinach. Transfer to a bowl and add ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup parmesan, nutmeg (if using), salt, pepper, and flour. Stir to combine. The mixture should be thick. Scoop into 1.5-tablespoon-sized balls (I’m using a
(10-ounce or 283-gram) frozen chopped spinach, thawed1 package(215 grams) whole-milk ricotta1 cuplarge egg1(55 grams) salted butter, plus more if needed4 tablespoonscup (50 grams) grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve1/2cup (45 grams) all-purpose flour1/3
3
#40 scoop)
4
and arrange on a plate or tray.
5
Boil the gnudi: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Adding a few at a time so it’s not too crowded, simmer the gnudi until they float to the surface, about ⏱️ 3 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and transfer back to the plate or platter. Repeat with remaining gnudi.
6
Brown in butter: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once sizzling, add sage leaves and as many gnudi as fit without too much crowding. Once browned underneath, gently turn to brown them on the other side. Transfer to serving plate and repeat with remaining dumplings. Remove sage leaves once they’re crisp. If needed, add additional butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
7
Pour any leftover butter in the skillet over the gnudi, and finish with additional freshly cracked black pepper and a shower of parmesan. Eat right away.
8
Additional Tips: I’m using a very thick, fina-style (i.e. curds so small, you barely see them) whole-milk ricotta from my favorite storebought brand for it, Luizzi. Of course this isn’t available to everyone. If you’re using any other kind of ricotta, it might help to drain it first. To do so, place a sieve over a bowl and line it with cheese cloth, paper towel, or a paper coffee filter. Add your ricotta to it and let it drain for an hour. Measure the 1 cup of ricotta from the drained amount.
(10-ounce or 283-gram) frozen chopped spinach, thawed1 package(215 grams) whole-milk ricotta1 cupcup (50 grams) grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve1/2cup (45 grams) all-purpose flour1/3(55 grams) salted butter, plus more if needed4 tablespoons
9
Make sure your spinach is chopped very well so it mixes the most thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.
10
Several online recipes call for rolling the balls briefly in flour before boiling them. I did not find that this added anything, but don’t want to dismiss this tip if it’s something that might make a difference for you.
11
Finally, you can chill the balls of gnudi on a parchment-lined tray after you form them in the fridge for ⏱️ 30 minutes or up to a few hours, which some people have reported helped them set up better.
12
I hope this leads to a 100% success rate for everyone going forward!
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