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🥟 Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi with Tomato-Butter Sauce

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi with Tomato-Butter Sauce

🍽 Serves ⏲ Total Time
4 1.25 hours

🧂 Ingredients

Gnudi

  • 🥛 1.5 cups whole-milk ricotta
  • 🌾 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 🧀 1 oz Parmesan
  • 🍞 1 Tbsp panko
  • 🧂 0.75 tsp salt
  • 🧂 0.5 tsp pepper
  • 🍋 0.25 tsp lemon zest
  • 🥬 10 oz frozen whole-leaf spinach
  • 🥚 2 large egg whites

Sauce

  • 🧈 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 🧄 3 cloves garlic
  • 🍅 12 oz cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 🍶 2 tsp cider vinegar
  • 💧 1 qt water
  • 🧂 1.5 tsp salt
  • 🧂 0.25 tsp salt
  • 🧂 0.25 tsp pepper
  • 🌿 2 Tbsp basil

🍳 Cookware

  • 1 rimmed baking sheet
  • 1 paper towels
  • 1 large bowl
  • 1 food processor
  • 1 small saucepan
  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 spider skimmer or slotted spoon
  • 1 bowls

📝 Instructions - Gnudi

Note

Ricotta without stabilizers such as locust bean, guar, and xanthan gums drains more readily. You can substitute part-skim ricotta for the whole-milk ricotta. Frozen whole-leaf spinach is easiest to squeeze dry, but frozen chopped spinach will work. Squeezing the spinach should remove 1/2 to 2/3 cup of liquid; you should have 2/3 cup of finely chopped spinach. Our tomato-butter sauce isn't strictly canonical; if you'd prefer a more traditional accompaniment, substitute our Simple Tomato Sauce or browned butter and fresh sage. Serve with a simple salad.

Step 1

FOR THE GNUDI: Line rimmed baking sheet with double layer of paper towels. Spread whole-milk ricotta in even layer over towels; set aside and let sit for 10 minutes. Place all-purpose flour, Parmesan, panko, salt, pepper, and lemon zest in large bowl and stir to combine. Process frozen whole-leaf spinach in food processor until finely chopped, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer spinach to bowl with flour mixture. Grasp paper towels and fold ricotta in half; peel back towels. Rotate sheet 90 degrees and repeat folding and peeling 2 more times to consolidate ricotta into smaller mass. Using paper towels as sling, transfer ricotta to bowl with spinach mixture. Discard paper towels but do not wash sheet. Add egg whites to bowl and mix gently until well combined.

Step 2

Transfer heaping teaspoons of dough to now-empty sheet (you should have 45 to 50 portions). Using your dry hands, gently roll each portion into 1-inch ball.

📝 Instructions - Sauce

Step 3

Melt unsalted butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add thinly sliced garlic and cook, swirling saucepan occasionally, until butter is very foamy and garlic is pale golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, add cherry or grape tomatoes and cider vinegar; cover and set aside.

Step 4

Bring 1 quart water to boil in Dutch oven. Add 1.5 teaspoons salt. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer all gnudi to water. Return water to gentle simmer. Cook, adjusting heat to maintain gentle simmer, for 5 minutes, starting timer once water has returned to simmer (to confirm doneness, cut 1 dumpling in half; center should be firm).

Step 5

While gnudi simmer, add salt and pepper to sauce and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are warmed through and slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Divide sauce evenly among 4 bowls. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, remove gnudi from pot, drain well, and transfer to bowls with sauce. Garnish with basil and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.

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