Baked Gnudi Tuscan Ricotta And Spinach Dumplings Recipes

GNUDI - "NAKED" RICOTTA AND SPINACH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Put the ricotta cheese in a sieve over a bowl and leave to drain in the fridge for a few hours.
• Wilt the spinach in a pan until it reduces significantly in size and loses plenty of water.
• Squeeze as much water as you can out of the spinach by rolling in a tea towel and twisting it over the sink.
• Chop the spinach finely.
• In a bowl, mix together the spinach and the cheeses gently. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a good grating of nutmeg. Mix gently but thoroughly.
• On a floured surface, form balls of the mixture and roll in the flour to coat well. Aim to make around 12 dumplings.
• To cook, place a few at a time into boiling, unsalted water and remove from the water with a slotted spoon as soon as they float (a minute or so).
• Serve with butter, sage and parmesan cheese or a simple tomato sauce.

BAKED GNUDI, TUSCAN RICOTTA AND SPINACH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• First of all, prepare all ingredients.
• Drain the ricotta of the whey. If you need, help yourself with a fork and a strainer.
• If you use fresh spinach, boil them in salted water for about 8/10 minutes. After that, squeeze them very well and chop finely with a knife or scissors.
• Chop the shallot or the onion for the tomato sauce
• Preheat your oven: to 180° degrees C (350° degrees F) if fan oven, otherwise 190° degrees C (375° degrees F) if conventional oven.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNUDI

Steps:

• For the gnudi: Mix the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, flour, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and eggs together. Make 2 small balls and test cook by placing them in boiling water until they float, then shock in iced water. Taste. If they are too soft and don't hold together, add more flour or breadcrumbs and test again.
• Portion all of the gnudi and roll into balls. Cook in boiling water until they float, about 2 minutes, and shock in iced water. Coat in olive oil and reserve until ready to serve.
• For the porcini puree: To caramelize the shallots, heat a large saute pan over high heat, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, then add the shallots. Allow to color on one side, then lower the heat and stir. Slowly cook until soft and sweet, about 5 minutes. Saute the mushrooms together with the shallots until lightly colored and tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and chili, and sweat for an additional 3 minutes. Pour the liquid from the hydrated porcini mushrooms into the pan. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the contents into a blender and puree until the consistency is smooth. Add water if the mixture gets too thick in the blender and it stops moving. Add olive oil while blending to finish and taste for seasoning. Strain the sauce. Reserve until ready to serve.
• To serve: Warm the porcini puree and reserve. Reheat the gnudi in a pan with salted simmering water and the melted butter. Plate the porcini puree, place gnudi on top and top with Parmesan cheese.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Bring a large, wide pot of salted water to a simmer. Put the spinach in a large bowl and separate it with your hands. Add the ricotta, 3/4 cup parmesan, the flour, eggs, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the nutmeg. Mix with a fork to form a slightly sticky dough.
• Spread some flour on a plate. Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of the spinach-ricotta mixture and roll into about 24 loose balls using floured hands. Gently roll the balls in the flour.
• Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the butter.
• Meanwhile, gently lower the dumplings into the simmering water and cook until they rise to the surface and are firm, about 5 minutes. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon, letting the water drain off, and add to the sauce. Gently toss to coat, then transfer to plates and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan. Serve with bread.