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Although spinach gnudi — soft, pillowy cheese dumplings fried in browned butter and sage — are traditionally more of a spring or summer food, I’m here to make the argument we should eat them right now, in prime soup-and-sweater weather. Because did you hear the part about warm cheese? the puddle of brown butter? the earthy sage? It’s a symphony of delicious fall things and if you tell me you don’t want to curl up on the plate and take a nap in it, fine, I’ll believe you but I do think you’re in denial.
Gnudi literally means “naked” in Italian — consider them spinach and ricotta ravioli without the pasta wrapper. I think they’re better in every way because you get all of the soft, cheesy filling, none of the pasta fuss that can feel leaden together. Typically, gnudi are made with fresh greens that have been blanched and finely chopped but I’ve been on a mission over the last year to give frozen spinach (reliable! economical! seasonless!) more love, especially when all I’d planned to do with the fresh stuff was cook it down and feel bereft when it vanished. Frozen spinach saves me this heartache, and here we’re using a whole box, saving us a math headache too.
From there, it’s just a few simple steps to make — mix with ricotta, parmesan, an egg, seasoning, and a small enough amount of flour that I bet a gluten-free flour would work as swap — form into balls, boil them briefly until they float like marbled green clouds, and brown them in a skillet with butter and sage. The result is decadent and cozy and while I briefly considered arguing that they’re not nearly as heavy as you’d expect from, you know, cheese fried in butter (they’re not!) I’ll say instead that they’re the exactly correct level, which is to say effectively warming and delicious but not sleep-inducing (you know, unless you cave on that nap offer).
Looking to stretch it into more of a meal? You could add hearty bread, a simple soup, or a roasted fall salad.
P.S. Don’t miss the recipe for toasted ricotta gnocchi with pistachio pesto in my third cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers. They’re spinach-free and pan-fried only and they become essentially burnished cheese nuggets, then tossed with an arugula and pistachio sauce, brightening everything.
Video
Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi
- 1 package (10-ounce or 283-gram) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 cup (215 grams) whole-milk ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup (45 grams) all-purpose flour
- A few fresh sage leaves
- 4 tablespoons (55 grams) salted butter, plus more if needed
On a cutting board, finely chop the wrung-out spinach. Transfer to a bowl and add ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup parmesan, nutmeg (if using), salt, pepper, and flour. Stir to combine. The mixture should be thick. Scoop into 1.5-tablespoon-sized balls (I’m using a #40 scoop) and arrange on a plate or tray.
Boil the gnudi: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Adding a few at a time so it’s not too crowded, simmer the gnudi until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and transfer back to the plate or platter. Repeat with remaining gnudi.
Brown in butter: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once sizzling, add sage leaves and as many gnudi as fit without too much crowding. Once browned underneath, gently turn to brown them on the other side. Transfer to serving plate and repeat with remaining dumplings. Remove sage leaves once they’re crisp. If needed, add additional butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
To serve: Pour any leftover butter in the skillet over the gnudi, and finish with additional freshly cracked black pepper and a shower of parmesan. Eat right away.
Additional Tips:
I hope this leads to a 100% success rate for everyone going forward!
