Gnudi/Ricotta Gnocchi/Dumplings

Whatever you want to call them, they are delicious and very versatile

A pillowy mixture of ricotta, eggs and flour, often used in much the same way you might use pasta, and for the sake of ease here I am going to call them Gnudi, an Italian name that refers to it being like the “naked” inside of a ravioli. Gnudi are much easier and less fuss to throw together than fresh ravioli or even basic pasta, which is very appealing to me in my home kitchen. They are also special enough to warrant the effort of actually making them rather than just opening a bag of dried pasta.

Gnudi are an excellent way to showcase beautiful, seasonal produce, and I think simplicity is best when thinking about dressing them. Browning some butter with sage leaves and tossing the gnudi though, perhaps adding some blanched sliced asparagus or fresh peas, black pepper on top is all you need. Or if you have some good mushrooms, fry them quickly in a hot pan with a little butter, thyme and later garlic, and a dollop of creme fraiche to finish. A mix of colorful cherry tomatoes, halved and just softened with a clove of garlic and a splash of white wine, a sprinkle of fresh herbs and drizzle of olive oil on top. In autumn they are very good with roasted garlic and squash, a little brown butter, rosemary and parmesan. In winter I love to use these as a base for a lovely ragu, such as this braised lamb shank, topped with parmesan and gremolata. I also love to drop them into a pot of chicken broth to cook and serve them floating in a sea of broth with a few snipped chives and black pepper, and recently I added them to a brothy minestrone in place of pasta (recipe below). Delicious!

Adding blanched pureed greens to the gnudi make them a lovely color and add another flavour dimension. I recently added stinging nettles to a batch which was a great way to use these savory springtime weeds. A small handful of finely chopped herbs such as chives, basil or parsley or a few sprigs of thyme, is also very good.

I use a basic soft ricotta that I buy in a tub from the grocery store. I have made it with homemade ricotta as well, but I don’t think it is worth going to the trouble of making your own to use in this way.

Basic Gnudi Recipe