Gnudi are a super fun and easy dish that can be enjoyed in so many ways and on so many occasions. Easily you're next no-fuss, go-to recipe 😋
I have been wanting to make Gnudi for the longest time, and truth be told, I gave these a few goes before I was happy with the end result so it's been a long time coming. Gnudi are similar to gnocchi but bigger, and are a kind of comfort-style food in the Italian cuisine, native to Tuscany.
Gnudi require few ingredients and take no time at all to prepare and cook. It's a great option for a hearty entree or side, or just a scrumptious and heart-warming snack. We know that snacking can be difficult for people with dysphagia and these are a great option to have in the fridge to pull out at a minutes notice. You can easily warm them up in the microwave (I'd recommend with a glass of water to avoid them drying out) or eat them chilled ❄️ Both ways tend to hit the spot.
Through my trial an error, I waged a bit of a war with ricotta. I hadn't realised what a difference the texture of ricotta would make so I found myself changing every other ingredient before switching up the ricotta. I found that the chunky ricotta worked better because it was less wet once drained and it held shape much better. It was still soft and malleable enough to make the shapes I wanted and easily passes the easy to chew test. I would avoid the "smooth" ricotta and go for the more chunky, yet soft consistency.
Further wars were had with spinach. I tried fresh spinach and frozen spinach, and while I loved the texture and flavour of fresh spinach steamed and finely chopped, it was such a lengthy process for a quick and easy recipe, and to be honest, so expensive at the supermarket! 💸 I really wanted this recipe to be quick, economic and easy so I decided that I had to make it work with frozen spinach. And that I did.
A word of warning, a 200g back of frozen spinach is not 200g after you drain and squeeze out the water. That was a fun lesson to learn 🙃 In order for the mixture to be the right consistency, it's imperative to squeeze as much of the water out as possible so that it doesn't go too runny, and when that 200g bag of frozen spinach becomes about 150g, add another bag for good measure. It'll give you around about the 300g in the recipe. ⚖️
The shaping part is the fun part. You can make the Gnudi whichever shape or size you please as a Regular Easy to Chew option. I liked the kofta shape however a simple ball will suffice. Although it would be a LOT of rolling, this could very easily be a Soft and Bite Sized option is the balls were rolled up small enough. Or, I suppose, if you cooked the large and then cut them up smaller afterwards. The world is yours... 🌏
One of the fun things about Gnudi is that there are so many different ways you can enjoy them; with a little bit of seasoning and olive oil, with a burnt butter and sage sauce, in a tomato sauce... really, the choice is up to you. I chose the burnt butter and sage because I find it light and a gentle flavour that doesn't overpower the subtle flavours of the Gnudi.
I hope you enjoy these little things as much as I do 🤗😋💕
Gnudi
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Gnudi
500g ricotta
300g frozen spinach, squeezed
½ cup or 60g parmesan cheese
½ cup or 60g plain flour
1 egg
¾ tsp of Nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Burnt Butter and Sage Sauce
200g of butter
2 cloves of garlic
4 leaves of sage
METHOD
Defrost and squeeze out as much excess liquid from the spinach as possible, until dry.
Combine the spinach, ricotta, egg, flour, parmesan, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
Roll a heaped tablespoon of the mixture into a round ball.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the Gnudi in batches.
Allow each Gnudi to simmer until they begin to float which means they are cooked. Remove the Gnudi from the water with a slotted spoon to drain excess water and place to the side.
Place the butter in a saucepan until it is melted and foaming. Add the garlic and sage leaves to the butter and salt to taste.
All to simmer for approximately 5-7 minutes or until the sage is crispy.
One the sauce is done, drizzle over the Gnudi to serve.
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