A few years ago, when I was in NYC for skool, I desperately wanted to go to The Spotted Pig restaurant because I heard about these gnudi. Sadly, I didn’t make it. But I have the recipe (mwa ha ha) and have been dying to try it out. Thanks to some inspiration to whip up some ricotta for sale (with a little left for us!) I am going to try this today.
They take an overnight to set so keep that in mind. And do look up a picture online, they are gorgeous little enriched pasta balls made of fresh ricotta, egg, parmesan, AP flour, rolled in semolina…then flavored with sauteed veg and cream sauce – I’m drooling already. My Earth to Table cookbook pairs them with ramps, morels, and blanched fiddleheads. Foraging is highly recommended…splendid!
Spring Gnudi
Serves 6
Gnudi Ingredients:
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup fresh Ricotta Cheese (find at Rock Bottom Homestead!)
2 Lg Eggs + 1 yolk
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp minced fresh chives or wild garlic
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste
4 cups Semolina Flour
To prepare the day before: In a large bowl, combine cheeses, eggs/yolk, and nutmeg. Whisk until smooth and airy. Fold in AP flour and chives. Season to taste with S&P.
With floured hands, roll gnudi into 1″ balls, place in clean bowl. Cover gnudi balls completely with semolina, cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, bring a large pot of water to a boil (and start your vegetables below). Add gnudi and reduce heat to simmer. Working in batches, poach gnudi until they float to the top, about 4 minutes.
Spring Vegetable:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter (or Ghee)
2 cups Mushrooms (local mushroom farms have lovely blue oyster mushrooms this time of year, or even just crimini if you are unable to get the wild goodies), or foraged morels
1 cup chopped Scallions (or shallots), or foraged ramps
1 cup chopped (1-2″) & blanched thin Asparagus (or pea shoots), or other foraged shoots such as fiddleheads, hosta, milkweed, lily)
While boiling gnudi, heat oil and butter in a large skillet. Add vegetables and saute until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan, drain fat if necessary and use pan with juices for next step.
Cream Sauce:
3 cups Whipping/Heavy Cream
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Add cream to pan juices in skillet and heat over high, cooking until reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Turn off heat and stir in Parmesan until well combined.
To Serve: Divide gnudi evenly among 6 bowls, top with cream sauce, then vegetables.
Sounds amazing…I’ll be setting up mine shortly…
