Gnudi? Who gnu?

Spinach Gnudi

Photo and text by KARA DiCAMILLO/ecoRI.org News contributor

On these cold winter nights, I usually crave comfort food. Everyone has his or her own idea of what comfort food consists of, and, for me, gnudi with tomato sauce hits that sweet spot.

Gnudi means, well, “nude,” and this yummy dish is essentially nude ravioli (those smart Italians). It’s the filling of the ravioli cooked without the pasta. I was so excited when I picked up spinach from my CSA this week, not only because I could eat it several times a week, but because gnudi was the first thing that came to mind.

I used eggs from my CSA and Narragansett Creamery ricotta. These dumplings are light and melt in your mouth with tons of flavor.

Spinach Gnudi
Serves 4 (Makes about 18-20 gnudi)

Cup of sautéed spinach, roughly chopped
8 ounces of ricotta cheese
Cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper
5 tablespoons of panko breadcrumbs
5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, plus one cup for dusting
1 jar of tomato sauce or 3 cups of fresh tomato sauce

Heat your oven at 250 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, parmesan and eggs. Stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper, and then gently stir in the panko breadcrumbs and 5 tablespoons of flour, mixing just enough to pull the mixture together.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the tomato sauce and spread a thin layer of it in the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Put the remaining cup of flour in a small bowl. Using two tablespoons shape and compact the spinach mixture into ovals and drop them into the bowl with the flour and gently dust. Then drop the ovals directly into the boiling water in batches so you don’t crowd the pot. They will float to the top when they are finished, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnudi to the casserole dish and keep it warm by placing it in the oven. Repeat to cook the remainder of the gnudi and then spoon the remaining sauce over the top.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.