I have enjoyed delicious, feather light gnocchi, but generally I am not a fan as I often find them too starchy and heavy. I occasionally ‘steal’ one or two from Mark’s plate, and I am usually relieved that I did not order it!
But once I discovered the gnudi (pronounced nudee) I was converted! Basically a gnudi is a gnocchi where ricotta cheese replaces the potato. They are much lighter ‘dumplings’ and probably originated when someone had left over ravioli filling & decided to roll it into balls and poach it.
They are said to originate in Tuscany and apparently outside Tuscany they are known as “strangolapreti”. I find remembering gnudi a lot easier and when I describe the dish to someone I say that it is basically a spinach and ricotta ravioli without the pasta ‘blanket’ making it ‘nude’….. ‘gnudi’….. get it?
Egg and a little flour is added to bind them. I use plain cake wheat flour, but many recipes recommend zero 1 or semolina flour.
The sage butter and parmesan cheese topping just rounds off this dish.
It is a lovey light and healthy starter, particularly for those who are trying to cut down on the carbohydrates. You can replace the small quantity of wheat flour with a gluten free option, but just make sure that it has good enough binding properties. I always look our for one that contains some potato flour.