gnudi

Tuscan dumplings made with ricotta, spinach and Parmigiano Reggiano serve in a rich tomato and basil sauce

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Ricotta and spinach gnudi in a tomato and basil sauce

Serve: 12 gnudi

Ingredients

Gnudi

• 300g fresh spinach

• 150g ricotta

• 20g Parmeggiano Reggiano + for serving

• 1 whole egg

• 30g semolina

• 1 small shallot (about 20g)

• 1 garlic clove

• a pinch of nutmeg

• half a lemon

• extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt

Sauce

• 400g crushed tomatoes

• 1 garlic clove

• a sprig of fresh basil + leaves for serving

• extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt

Method

Tomato and basil sauce

Crush a garlic clove with the flat side of a knife. Heat olive oil in a pan over low to medium heat, then add the garlic to infuse the oil with its fragrance. Cook until the garlic begins to take on a slight golden colour, but be sure not to burn it. Remove the garlic from the pan.

Place the crushed tomatoes in the pan and let them simmer gently for about 20 minutes on low heat. Stir in the basil leaves, season with sea salt, and cook for another 5 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of water to reach your desired consistency.

Prepare ingredients for gnudi

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.

While waiting for the water to heat up, brunoise the shallot and mince the garlic clove. Remove the stems from the bigger spinach leaves with your hands.

Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the shallot until translucent, add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Once the water starts to boil, add salt, and blanch the spinach for a minute. Remove it with a slotted spoon and refresh it in ice-cold water to retain the colour. Squeeze out any remaining liquid using your hands.

Chop the spinach.

Drain the ricotta in a sieve over a bowl for a couple of minutes.

Grate Parmigiano Reggiano and zest half a lemon.

Place all the prepared ingredients in a bowl. Add the whole egg, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, semolina, and season with sea salt.

Mix all the ingredients.

Form gnudi

Using your hands or an ice cream scoop, shape the mixture into golf ball-sized gnudi, roughly 12 balls in total. Carefully toss each ball in the semolina to coat it lightly, then give it a gentle roll between your hands to smooth the surface. For an extra protective shell, roll them a second time in the semolina.

Allow the gnudi to set for about an hour before cooking.

Serve

Bring a pot of water to a boil and warm the tomato sauce over low heat.

Once the water is boiling, add a generous pinch of salt and submerge the gnudi.

Cook them (in batches) for 4 minutes, or until they float up to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to remove them carefully from the water.

Serve the gnudi with the warm tomato and basil sauce, and finish with fresh basil leaves and a generous sprinkle of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.