Homemade Gnudi are easy to make and a family favorite. Made with ricotta cheese and spinach, they taste like the 
center of a ravioli, but the process is way simpler. The name is a take on nudi or nudo in Italian, which means naked. Naked ravioli FTW.
The tender dumplings are incredibly delicious with just a bit of tomato sauce or brown butter. You can also serve them with pesto – but I really like them with simple Marinara. My friend Meg’s 5-Ingredient Marinara recipe is one of my favorites, so I often have some stowed in the fridge.
If you’re going to serve them with brown butter, here’s my favorite method: Warm 6 TBSP butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the two whole sage leaves in the butter and cook, stirring, until the butter develops brown flecks and smells nutty. Watch carefully to make certain the butter doesn’t burn. Remove from heat, and carefully pull the sage leaves out. Add the 2-3 sliced sage leaves, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp pepper flakes to the butter and return to low heat, stir to combine.
The gnudi are best with fresh ricotta, and fresh spinach makes a difference too, although I often use frozen spinach and have no trouble. Just make certain that the spinach is fully drained or squeezed dry. The extra moisture will cause problems in the dough.
About the flour: I originally created this recipe with a coconut + rice blend that didn’t have any binder, so I’ve included xanthan gum. Now I use my favorite gluten-free blend, so I don’t need it. Only include xanthan if your blend normally needs a binding agent.
Here’s my gluten-free version of gnocchi’s lighter, fluffier, ricotta-based cousin. Try making Gnudi soon and let me know what you think!
Homemade Gnudi
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 bunches fresh spinach, sauteed, drained & chopped -OR- 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum* *if your blend doesn't contain it
- 6 tablespoons GF Flour Blend plus 1 cup for coating
- Marinara Sauce heated, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and yolks. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, xanthan gum {if needed} and 6 TBSP gluten-free flour. Chill for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the remaining cup of the gluten-free flour to a medium sized bowl.
- Remove the gnudi mixture from the fridge. Form mixture in to small, flattened balls. Dredge the formed gnudi in flour to coat, tapping off the excess.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Slide formed gnudi into the boiling water. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; work in batches if necessary. Remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon after they float to the top and have cooked for about 4 minutes.
- Arrange gnudi on a platter and drizzle with marinara sauce for serving. Top with shaved Parmesan if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Photos: Meg van der Kruik
Gluten-free Italian goodness. Nothing wrong with that.
