Super-sized gnocchi of sorts, gnudi are ultimately pasta-less ravioli. A “filling” – often comprised of greens such as Swiss chard or spinach and ricotta – is cooked in boiling water as is, producing gnudi, which means nude in Tuscan dialect.
Follow the recipe below and watch chef Silvia Barban of LaRina in Brooklyn prepare this beloved Tuscan specialty.
Gnudi Recipe by Chef Silvia Barban
Ingredients
7 oz./200 g. ricotta
4 oz./100 g rainbow swiss chard
¾ cup/100 g flour
3⅓ Tbsp./50 g. Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 large egg
nutmeg
black pepper
chopped Swiss chard stems
2 Tbsp. butter
Chop the Swiss chard and blanch in salted water for 5 seconds, then cool down in ice water and drain. Let it sit all night in the fridge in a colander with a weight on top of it to squeeze out all the water.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add the Swiss chard and mix to combine. Finally, mix in the flour. The dough should feel sticky.
Lightly flour a baking sheet and bring a pot of salted water up to a boil.
Make tablespoon-sized dumplings of ricotta-chard dough and place on the baking sheet. I like to roll them smoothly between wet hands.
Put the gnudi in the boiling water and reduce to simmer. Cook for 2 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the gnudi from the water and serve with brown butter, sage, and the remaining Parmigiano.