Gnudi with Spinach and St. Tola’s Goat Curd
Don’t confuse these little ricotta dumplings with gnocchi, which are usually made using polenta or potatoes. They are super simple to make and take just a few minutes to cook.
SERVES
6
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
40
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
10
MINUTES
Ingredients
For the gnudi
500g buffalo ricotta
1 organic egg yolk
30g ‘00’ flour
30g freshly grated Parmesan
zest of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg semolina flour, for dusting
For the sauce
80g butter
100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
500g spinach, stalks removed (225g after destalking)
120-160g goat’s curd or cottage cheese, preferably made with raw milk
To serve
zest of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Mix the ricotta, egg yolk, ‘00’ flour and Parmesan together in a bowl, then add the lemon zest and salt and pepper and mix again.
In a wide, deep baking tray or plastic container, spread out a generous layer of semolina flour, about 5mm thick.
Roll the gnudi mixture into 18–24 balls (25g approx.) and then lay each one on the semolina flour in a single layer, making sure they do not touch each other.
When you have used up all the mixture, completely cover the gnudi with the remaining semolina flour and chill in the fridge for 24 hours. By then, the semolina will have formed a crust on the gnudi – this helps the dumplings hold their shape. You can sieve and save the remaining semolina and use again.
When you’re ready to cook the gnudi, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, dust off the excess semolina flour (any excess semolina flour can be kept in the fridge and used again) and boil the gnudi for about 3 minutes, in batches, until they rise to the top of the saucepan, reserving some of the cooking water.
To serve, heat the butter and extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat until the butter begins to foam. Add the spinach leaves and a couple of small ladles of the gnudi cooking water (200ml approx.) and stir gently. As soon as the spinach starts to wilt, add the goat’s curd or cottage cheese and give it another stir (you may need to add a little more of the gnudi water to thin the sauce slightly).
Drain the gnudi and add to the sauce. Stir very gently, careful not to break the gnudi. Divide the gnudi and sauce between 6–8 warm bowls, finish each bowl with a grating of lemon zest, a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few twists of black pepper.
Enjoy immediately.
