Original recipe: Tuscan gnudi made of ricotta and spinach, essentially the filling of a ravioli without the pasta, similar to Florentine crepes, hence the name “gnudi,” which in Tuscan dialect means “nude,” referring to the absence of the pasta dough that typically encases the filling. The gnudi recipe is a humble dish of Tuscan peasant cuisine, especially from Maremma and Siena but now widespread throughout the region, appearing as gnocchi in a ball shape similar to meatballs.
It’s about mixing pre-cooked spinach (see how to cook spinach) with ricotta, cheese, eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to form little balls to cook in boiling water or broth, depending on the sauce. For successful gnudi, it’s essential to squeeze both the spinach and the ricotta very well, as they need to be very dry.
Gnudi seasoning: the traditional dish serves gnudi with melted butter, but they are also excellent with meat ragù, with tomato and basil sauce, or simply cooked in meat broth. In any case, a generous sprinkle of parmesan is mandatory.
Let’s see together how to prepare the gnudi recipe. As a good Tuscan, I could not help but introduce you to all their variations: they are simple but delicious. A true grandmother’s recipe you’ll love!
TRY:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 333.96 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 18.32 (g) of which sugars 1.01 (g)
- Proteins 22.28 (g)
- Fat 20.32 (g) of which saturated 12.29 (g)of which unsaturated 7.35 (g)
- Fibers 4.73 (g)
- Sodium 970.94 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 240 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 18 oz spinach
- 1 1/4 cups ricotta
- 2 eggs (small)
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste butter
- A few leaves sage
Tools
To make the gnudi, you need…
- Mezzaluna
- Kneading board
Gnudi Recipe
After thoroughly washing them, boil the spinach with the remaining water on the leaves, here are all the tips on how to cook spinach, then squeeze them very well (as much water as possible should be removed) and finely chop them with the mezzaluna.
Remove as much whey as possible from the ricotta, if needed, squeeze it in a cotton cloth.
In a bowl, place the chopped spinach, ricotta, eggs, grated parmesan, flour, salt, pepper, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and mix the dough well.
With the obtained mixture, make balls the size of a walnut, roll them in flour and place them on a floured wooden board. When you take them for cooking, I recommend doing so with a spatula as the dough is very soft.
Boil a pot of salted water and drop in the gnudi one at a time, cook for 5 minutes, you’ll see them float up like gnocchi. Drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer them directly into the pan where you have melted butter with sage, mix, and serve with a nice grated parmesan.
Your gnudi are ready, everyone will love them, young and old alike!
Typical Tuscan gnudi are served as described in the recipe with butter and sage, but they are also delicious with meat ragù, with a good tomato sauce, or more simply boiled directly in meat broth.
Storage and tips
Storage: Tuscan gnudi can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, preferably uncooked.
Tips: You can also use frozen spinach.
The dough should be soft; if it’s too soft, add some flour.
If you try to cook them in broth, do so directly in the meat broth pot.
Squeeze the spinach well after cooking to remove the water, and drain the ricotta well from the whey.
