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5.0 from 18 votes

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi Recipe

Gnudi recipe is an Italian dish that can be a greedy alternative to the classic potato gnocchi recipe.They are small dumplings made with ricotta cheese and chopped spinach. Ricotta makes them pillow-soft, delicate and irresistible.The gnudi recipe is one of the most typical dishes of Tuscany, a classic comfort food of the Italian tradition, made with simple ingredients. 

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 479 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Gnudi
  • 400 g spinach 14 oz, fresh or 500 g (1.1 lb) of frozen spinach
  • 400 g ricotta cheese 14 oz
  • 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
  • 2 eggs medium size
  • 160 g flour 6 oz, all purpose
  • 1 pinch nutmeg grated
  • 160 g parmigiano reggiano 6 oz, grated
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
For the Seasoning
  • 90 g butter 3 oz, unsalted
  • 6 leaves sage

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Boil the spinach in very little salted water for about 5 minutes. Then drain them very well, squeezing to drain the water with the help of a fork.
  2. Chop up the spinach with a knife on a cutting board or with scissors on a plate. DO NOT use an electric vegetable grinder to avoid making the spinach a mush. Place the spinach in a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of butter and cook them on medium/high heat for ⅔ minutes to flavor and dry them even more.
  3. Let the spinach cool a little then place them in a large bowl and add the ricotta, stirring with a fork.
  4. Add the eggs and the grated parmigiano. Mix to combine.
  5. Add enough nutmeg to flavor the mixture well, preferably freshly grated. Then start to incorporate the flour little by little, keeping to stir with a spoon until the mixture is well blended and very soft.
  6. Now it's time to give gnudi a shape. You can choose between a round or oval shape. As you like best. We are going to show you how to make gnudi with a rather elongated oval shape, like the traditional Italian recipe. So first cover a tray with baking paper with plenty of flour. The dough must be very soft and could stick to the fingers, so help yourself with two spoons and make the classic oval shape of about 5 cm (2 inch).
  7. Whenever the gnudi are ready, place them on the floured tray, well spaced from each other.
  8. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the sage leaves in a bain-marie and set aside. You will use this dressing to season spinach and ricotta gnudi.
  9. Bring to a boil a pot with plenty of salted water and cook the gnudi gnocchi a few at a time for about ⅘ minutes. As soon as gnudi come to the surface, remove them from the water with a skimmer, draining them well.
  10. Place cooked gnudi in a serving dish and season them with plenty of melted butter and sage leaves. Serve gnudi hot with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano, according to your taste.

Notes

  • NOTE FOR RICOTTA GNUDI RECIPE: If you want to make ricotta gnudi, skip the first 3 steps and proceed immediately by mixing the ricotta with the eggs and parmigiano as described in step 4. Then go on with the following steps. The quantity of ingredients without the spinach is for 4 people.
  • NOTE FOR RICOTTA GNUDI RECIPE: If you want to make ricotta gnudi, skip the first 3 steps and proceed immediately by mixing the ricotta with the eggs and parmigiano as described in step 4. Then go on with the following steps. The quantity of ingredients without the spinach is for 4 people.

Nutrition Information

Serving 100g Calories 479kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 24g (48%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 19g (95%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 144mg (48%) Sodium 669mg (28%) Potassium 520mg (15%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 7269IU (145%) Vitamin C 19mg (21%) Calcium 537mg (54%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 479

% Daily Value*

Serving 100g
Calories 479kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 24g 48%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 144mg 48%
Sodium 669mg 28%
Potassium 520mg 11%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 7269IU 145%
Vitamin C 19mg 21%
Calcium 537mg 54%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.