Ricotta and Parmesan Gnudi with Tomato Sauce
By OcadoLife
Published on 04 January 2023
Food writer Lizzie Kamenetzky’s Ricotta and Parmesan Gnudi
with Tomato Sauce is about letting the ingredients sing. Gnudi are gnocchi-like
dumplings originating from Tuscany, and they’re easy to make but need a day or
so in the fridge to help them keep their shape when cooked. For some crunchy
contrast, pan fry a few slices of pancetta until crisp, and scatter over with
the parmesan. Time and servings
40 minsTotal time
6Servings
40 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 500 g of ricotta
- 60 g of parmesan, finely grated
- 0.5 tsp of finely grated whole nutmeg
- 500 g of fine semolina
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 700 ml of passata
- 1 tbsp of fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 30 g of unsalted butter
- 20 g of parmesan, finely grated, to serve
- 1 good pinch of chilli flakes
Method
Step 1
Put the ricotta into a piece of muslin cloth or a clean tea towel and bring up the sides to form a bag. Tie with string or an elastic band. Lay in a sieve placed over a bowl for at least 45 mins, and up to 4 hrs, to drain off some of the liquid.Step 2
Then tip it into a bowl and mix well with the parmesan and nutmeg; season.Step 3
Tip half the semolina into a large, flat dish that will fit in your fridge. With damp hands, shape the cheese mixture into 24 walnut-sized balls, then roll each in the semolina – use a clean spoon to help coat them – lining them up in the dish as you go. Once you’ve shaped them all, pour over the rest of the semolina. Chill for at least 24 hrs, ideally 2-3 days, so they form a skin and won’t break during cooking.Step 4
On the day you want to serve, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic for 1 min. Add the chilli flakes, passata and oregano, season well and simmer for 10 mins. Add the vinegar; bubble for 5-10 mins more until reduced to a rich sauce.Step 5
Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Melt the butter in a frying pan, season with salt and pepper and leave over a very low heat. Dust excess semolina off the gnudi and lower them, a few at a time, into the water. Simmer for 3-4 mins until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to the pan of butter and roll gently to coat.Step 6
Once the gnudi are all cooked, divide the sauce between warmed shallow bowls and top each with 4-6 gnudi. Spoon over any leftover butter, scatter with parmesan and finish with a grind of black pepper.