This is a recipe I wanted to write on my blog for a long time because years ago, when I worked in Ivrea and had many Tuscan colleagues, I tasted and enjoyed them a lot, but now that I eat plant-based, I had to make some modifications and here I present my vegan gnudi.
This is indeed a traditional dish of Tuscan cuisine: they are essentially ravioli without the pasta since gnudi in dialect means naked, or just the filling. They are typically made with spinach and ricotta, but in this vegan version, I used tofu. They can be dressed in various ways, the typical one is butter and sage, and so I enjoyed them exactly like that. But they are also excellent with tomato sauce.
It is a very simple and tasty dish, obviously light, to prepare in just a few steps!
Some other first courses that might interest you can be found here:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 10 oz spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 18 oz tofu (firm, not silken)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (measuring spoon)
- to taste garlic powder
- to taste dried onion
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- to taste nutmeg
- 1 oz nutritional yeast
- 1 oz re-milled semolina (we will only use half)
- to taste salt
- 3/4 oz vegan butter (alternatively 25ml of extra virgin olive oil)
- 3 sprigs sage
- Total points for 14 gnudi = 23 WW points
- Total points for 2 gnudi = 3 WW points
- Total points for 4 gnudi = 7 WW points
- Total points for 14 gnudi dressed = 30 WW points
- Total points for 4 gnudi dressed = 8 WW points
Tools
- Pot
- Wooden Spoon
- Colander
- Frying Pan
- Bowl
- Hand Blender
- Deep Plate
- Tray
- Ice Cream Scoop
- Slotted Spoon
Steps
I didn’t take photos for the preparation of the spinach, but I’ll explain my no-cook method: place them in a pot with a little salt, boil some water and pour it over the spinach. Stir quickly and as soon as they are all wilted, drain them, rinse with cold water and squeeze them out thoroughly.
There is no need to press the tofu as we will dry it in the pan. Heat a teaspoon of oil and add the crumbled tofu by hand with a bit of garlic and onion powder to flavor. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often: the tofu should just dry and not turn golden. Turn off and let cool.
In a large bowl, place tofu, spinach, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, and a bit of salt.
Using a hand blender, or if you prefer, a food processor, blend everything very well to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Prepare a deep dish with semolina and a tray or platter to place the gnudi once ready.
Using a large ice cream scoop (diameter 2 inches), scoop the mixture and roll it between the palms of your hands just like making a meatball.
Place the ball of dough in the semolina and cover it well.
Place the first gnudo on the tray and continue until the dough is finished.
Here are our vegan gnudi ready to be cooked or stored!
Bring the water to a boil with a bit of salt in a large pot. Pour the gnudi a few at a time; for 14 gnudi, I recommend cooking them in 2 batches.
After about 4 minutes, you will see them rise to the surface: remove them with a slotted spoon.
Place them in a colander and let them lose some of the cooking water.
At this point, just melt the vegan butter in the pan, or oil if you prefer, and fry the sage leaves. When they are crispy, remove them from the pan, otherwise, they lose their crispness, and add the gnudi. Stir gently to season them all and serve on the serving plate.
Add the sage leaves and our vegan butter and sage gnudi are ready to be served!
I’ve made them several times already because they have been fully approved by the Dutchman here at home. He only complains about the amount of butter, which is a bit little, but more would make it a first course too fatty and therefore not suitable for the diet. But maybe on holidays, you can add a bit more seasoning!
I enjoyed them very much, they are so tasty even though made with tofu: to think that years ago I detested it. Well, enough chatting, let me know if you liked them, and meanwhile:
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
You can prepare the vegan gnudi even the day before, place them on a tray or platter, and keep them covered with a cloth not treated with scented detergents.
I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure you can also freeze them on a tray, and once frozen, you can place them in a freezer bag. You can cook them in boiling water without defrosting them first; it will take a few more minutes of cooking.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is nutritional yeast?
This recipe also includes nutritional yeast, which is a deactivated yeast rich in vitamin B12. It is widely used in vegan cooking as it gives dishes a cheesy flavor. To delve deeper, read here: Nutritional Yeast: what it is, how to use it, and why! You can omit it, but in that case, add spices to taste to give more flavor to the final dish.
I am gluten intolerant, how can I adapt this recipe?
Of course you can: make sure the cornstarch is gluten-free and use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
