Gnudi (pronounced “nu-dee”) is a type of gnocchi made from ricotta cheese and a little bit of flour. The result is a dumpling that some describe as “nude” ravioli, or filling without the pasta — that is to say, light, fluffy, and creamy.

I’ve been playing with pasta. More specifically, this pasta here ^. This pasta is called Gnudi.

Gnudi (pronounced “nu-dee”) is a type of gnocchi made from ricotta cheese and a little bit of flour. The result is a dumpling that some describe as “nude” ravioli, or filling without the pasta — that is to say, light, fluffy, and creamy.

Y’all.

I know some of the recipes I post may be a little, well, let’s say, out of the ordinary. BUT. If you only try one recipe this lifetime out of your comfort zone, make it this one. I won’t lie, it’s a process, but it’s an easy one and the rewards to this little dumpling are huge yall. I mean HUGE! You will never have a lighter, more tender morsel. If a cloud had a taste, this would be it. AND, you can freeze them! Just trust me. Make. These.

So, let’s face facts. It’s a funny name, I know, for such an incredible little morsel. I have to control the giggles every time I say it. Hence the title to this little post, “Gnudi Art”. LOL!! Yep. Laughing.

Gnudi Dumplings with Oyster Mushrooms, Hazelnuts & Pineapple Sage

• 2 cups fresh ricotta, (drained) store bought or homemade (Ricotta recipe here)
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 4 cups semolina flour
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 12 to 15 fresh pineapple sage leaves, you can substitute plain sage leaves
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
• 2 clusters Oyster mushrooms
• 1 leek, sliced
• Salt & Pepper to taste

      

Directions

Place Ricotta in a cheesecloth lined strainer. Place 2 paper towels on top of Ricotta, lightly mashing to cover the top. Place in the refrigerator and allow to drain overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and scrape Ricotta from cheesecloth into a large bowl. Add Parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper to taste. Blend with a rubber spatula. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Place 1/2 Semolina flour onto a small baking sheet. Place the remaining flour in a large bowl. Using a cookie scoop, scoop a ball of Ricotta cheese, and place gently into the bowl of flour. Using your fingers, cover the Ricotta with flour. When the ball is lightly coated, gently place in on the pan with Semolina. Repeat until all Ricotta is used and placed in the pan. Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Leave for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, gently turn the Ricotta balls to the other side. Lightly cover with wrap and place back in the refrigerator for 24 hours. You can leave up to three days, turning once a day.

Once gnudi has formed a thin skin, they are ready to cook. Gently drop each gnudi into a pot of boiling water and gently stir for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.

Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Allow to melt without moving or stirring until butter has browned and there’s a nutty aroma. Add mushrooms, leeks and Sage. Cook until the Sage is crisp, about two minutes. Add pasta water, then gently swish in pan to allow mixture to emulsify and thicken, about 1 minute. Add gnudi, lightly coating with sauce. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and toasted Hazelnuts.

*NOTE: You can also freeze gnudi for later use, once they have formed a skin. Transfer gnudi to a baking sheet and freeze 1 hour. Transfer to a zipper-lock freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.*

Life is too short to eat ugly food y’all.