Gnudi profumati agli odori dell’orto (vegetable dumplings)

Typical first course from Central Italy, considered a lean dish because of the absence of meat products.

  • Time

    40 minutes

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Course

    First Courses

  • Italian Region

    Lazio

Ingredients

Servings 6

  • 1 ¼ lb spinach, fresh
  • ⅝ lb ricotta cheese, fresh
  • 1 ½ oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • 1 ¼ oz egg yolks
  • 7 oz all-purpose flour
  • 2 oz potato starch
  • nutmeg to taste
  • tomato sauce to taste
  • 2 oz butter
  • ⅜ oz sage

Preparation

30 minutes preparation + 10 minutes cooking

Step 1

Cook the spinach in a small amount of boiling salted water, drain it and cool thoroughly. Wring it out and then chop it up.

Gnudi profumati agli odori dell’orto (vegetable dumplings) - step 1

Step 2

On a work top, add all the other ingredients to the spinach purée, and mix everything together thoroughly and rapidly. The resulting combination must be homogeneous and soft.

Gnudi profumati agli odori dell’orto (vegetable dumplings) - step 2

Step 3

Leave the mixture to rest for a short while on a well-floured board.

Gnudi profumati agli odori dell’orto (vegetable dumplings) - step 3

Step 4

With the aid of a pastry bag with a smooth nozzle, form some strings of paste and cut these into 1.2 inches long pieces.

Gnudi profumati agli odori dell’orto (vegetable dumplings) - step 4

Step 5

Cook the “gnudi” in abundant salted water, and when they rise to the surface, drain them.

Gnudi profumati agli odori dell’orto (vegetable dumplings) - step 5

Step 6

In a large pan, brown the butter with the sage leaves. Lay the “gnudi” gently in the pan and toss them with the cheese.

Gnudi profumati agli odori dell’orto (vegetable dumplings) - step 6

Step 7

Arrange the “gnudi” on the serving dish, and decorate with fresh tomato sauce and some basil leaves.

Gnudi profumati agli odori dell’orto (vegetable dumplings) - step 7

Chef's Tips

The spinach must always be cooked in boiling salted water because in this way it maintains its green colour. The dough must be worked rapidly to avoid the flour becoming sticky. The water must only simmer to stop the “gnudi” disintegrating.

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