Gnudi are delicate, pillowy dumplings of ricotta cheese, four, egg york and salt, similar to their cousin gnocchi but made with ricotta cheese instead of cooked potato.
Also known as ricotta gnocchi, they can easily be made gluten-free. Toss with your favorite marinara sauce or saute them with brown butter and sage and you have a delicious meal in under 30 minutes. Wouldn't marinated mozzarella balls pair so beautifully with this recipe?
Ingredients needed to make ricotta dumplings
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What is the best ricotta for making this pasta?
Most importantly, regardless of which ricotta you choose, proper draining is crucial. The ricotta should be drained of excess moisture for at least 30 minutes (preferably longer) before using. For making gnudi, you'll want to use high-quality, full-fat ricotta cheese.
- Fresh ricotta when possible - it has better texture and flavor than mass-produced varieties. Look for it at Italian specialty stores or cheese shops.
- Whole milk ricotta (avoid low-fat versions) - the fat content is important for proper texture and richness.
- Brands that list "milk" and "whey" as the main ingredients, rather than additives and stabilizers.
What type of gluten-free flour can be used?
I would use your preferred gluten-free flour blend or substitute. If you are unsure, I would suggest tapioca flour just like you would use in Pão de queijo.
Preparing the ricotta for making pillowy ricotta gnudi
There is a lot of moisture or whey in the ricotta. For the gnudi to hold the dumpling-like form the excess moisture needs to be removed. Here is how I do it.
Line a dinner plate with 3-4 layers of paper towels.
Step 2
Spread the ricotta over the towels, add a second layer of 3-4 paper towels.
Step 3
Place another dinner plate on the stack and something with weight to it, such as a jar of sauce, on top of the second plate.
Wait 30 minutes
Wait 30 minutes to up to overnight for the moisture to be pressed from the cheese.
Step 5
Peel back the damp paper towels and use the pressed ricotta. I was able to get 4 ounces of whey out of the cheese in 30 minutes.
How to make homemade gnudi recipe:
- Press the moisture out of the creamy ricotta. See notes for detailed instructions.
- In a large bowl, using a rubber scraper or wooden spoon, mix together the egg yolks and the drained ricotta.
- Sprinkle in the salt and the flour.
- Using gentle folds, incorporate the flour and salt into the ricotta and egg mixture.
- Do not overwork the dough. It will be sticky. Extra flour can be used as you roll out the gnudi.
- Continue on to rolling or piping out the gnudi.
You have 2 options for forming the gnudi dumplings. You can roll them by hand or use a piping bag to make your portions. The choice is up to you and everyone has their own preference. I like the piping bag fitted with a coupler or a really large open round tip because it is cleaner for me. But I am pretty sure hand formed gnudi is more traditional.
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How to hand roll gnudi:
- Gather the dough and with floured hands on a floured surface, gently roll the dough into a log about 12 inches in length.
- Using a knife, divide the dough in half lengthwise and then slice each half in half again. You will now have 4 long ¼ logs.
- Using a quick chopping motion, slice each log into spite sized pieces, about an inch in length.
- Flour your hands and the pieces of dough again to roll them into little dumplings.
How to pipe out gnudi dumplings:
- Fit a piping bag with a wide open, round tip or just the coupler in the bottom of the bag.
- Dust a cookie sheet or surface with flour.
- Pipe the mixture out in 1 inch dollops of dough. For larger dumplings press harder and longer to make a golf ball sized ball.
- Dust your hands with more flour and sprinkle the dollops with more flour.
- Pick up each gnudi and form it gently in your hand. I found that shaking them in your hand as if you were shaking dice works well. Just be sure to do one at a time and flour your hand frequently.
- Transfer the gnudi to a well-floured cookie sheet until ready to cook.
How to cook gnudi:
- To cook the gnudi, bring a large pot of water to boil and salt the boiling water.
- Drop the gnudi in batches into the large pot of salted water and wait for them to float to the top.
- Simmer for 2 minutes and use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot.
- Serve with the sauce of your choice. See suggestions below.
Can I freeze gnudi?
If you are making a big batch of gnudi during batch cooking or meal planning they can easily be frozen. Simply dust a baking sheet or baking tray with flour and space the gnudi out on the tray. Freeze until firm, about 2-3 hours depending on size, and store in a zip-top bag or an air tight container with as much air pressed out as possible. They will keep in the freezer for up to a month.
How to cook frozen gnudi:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water.
- Drop the frozen gnudi into the boiling salted water and wait for them to float.
- Once they float, simmer for an additional minute to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the water, drain and serve.
Top Tips For Making Gnudi
- Be sure to drain the ricotta. The less moisture, the less sticky the gnudi dough will become.
- Add grated parmesan cheese to the dough for an extra layer of flavor. I recommend ½ cup fresh grated to start.
- The dough will double in size when you boil them. Consider this when rolling out or piping the dough.
- Don't overwork the dough. Gentle folding until the dough just comes together. You can always flour your hands and surface to keep the stick
Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
Gnudi uses ricotta to make little fluffy pillows of goodness whereas gnocchi utilizes cooked potato to achieve little lumps of happiness.
Gnudi pronounced 'nu -dee' translated from the Flourintene Italian meaning 'naked' are dumpling-sized balls of ricotta, flour, egg yolk and salt simmered in water for 2 minutes. These delicate pillows are similar to their cousin gnocchi but made with ricotta cheese instead of cooked potato. Picture a ravioli without the pasta. In fact, gnudi can easily be made gluten-free.
Sauteed in brown butter sauce
Topped with a generous scoop of bolognese and a shred of parmesan cheese
Saute them in butter and sage leaves, served with fresh mozzarella, cracked black pepper and topped with fresh basil.
When making gnudi that is tender to the tooth and not touch and chewy you need to use flour that is low in protein. Cake flour is ideal because it has somewhere from 6-8% protein but you may not have cake flour on hand. If you already are making your own pasta with 00 flour, that would be a great substitution as it has roughly 9-10% protein for a medium milled flour.
If you have exhausted all flour options in your pantry, go ahead and use all-purpose flour. AP flour has about a 10-12% protein content and while it is almost double the protein of cake flour or 00 flour, AP flour gnudi is better than no gnudi, in my opinion.
Gluten-free flour can be substituted in in equal portions. My gluten-free friends recommended cup 4 cup brand of flour but use what you love.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 3 egg yolks
- ⅔ Cups cake flour
- 1 Teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Press the moisture out of the ricotta. See notes for detailed instructions.
- In a large bowl, using a rubber scraper or wooden spoon, mix together the egg yolks and the drained ricotta cheese.
- Sprinkle in the salt and the flour.
- Using gentle folds, incorporate the flour and salt into the ricotta and egg mixture.
- Do not overwork the dough. It will be sticky. Extra flour can be used as you roll out the gnudi.
- Continue on to rolling or piping out the gnudi.
How to hand roll gnudi:
- Gather the dough and with floured hands on a floured surface, gently roll the dough into a log about 12 inches in length.
- Using a knife, divide the dough in half lengthwise and then slice each half in half again. You will now have 4 long ¼ logs.
- Using a quick chopping motion, slice each log into spite sized pieces, about an inch in length.
- Flour your hands and the pieces of dough again to roll them into little dumplings.
How to pipe out gnudi dumplings:
- Fit a piping bag with a wide open, round tip or just the coupler in the bottom of the bag.
- Dust a cookie sheet or surface with flour.
- Pipe out 1 inch dollops of dough. For larger dumplings press harder and longer to make a golf ball sized dumpling.
- Dust your hands with more flour and sprinkle the dollops with more flour.
- Pick up each gnudi and form it gently in your hand. I found that shaking them in your hand as if you were shaking dice works well. Just be sure to do one at a time and flour your hand frequently.
- Place on a well-floured cookie sheet until ready to boil.
How To Cook Gnudi
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt the water.
- Drop the gnudi in the water and wait for them to float to the top.
- Simmer for 2 minutes and remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon.
- Serve with the sauce of your choice.
Taneika says
I'm not seeing how to make this pasta gluten free? It shows flour but doesn't mention an alternative for flour.
Sarah Mock says
That is a great point Taneika! I will adjust the instructions to reflect your gluten free request. I would suggest using your choice of gluten free flour alternative or Tapioca flour. I hope that helps.
Sarah