Gnudi in Browned Butter and Sage Sauce
Italian cuisine never ceases to surprise. Gnudi, also known as malfatti, is not just another pasta dish, but rather a type of dumpling. It is sometimes compared to gnocchi, but gnudi is a unique and very different dish made of either just ricotta cheese, a mix of ricotta and hard cheese, or a small amount of flour. Gnudi made without flour are very soft and delicate, which can make them difficult to handle, but with careful preparation, this can be managed. In Tuscany, this dish is prepared in a very simple way—browned butter with crispy-fried sage leaves. These leaves are a delightful addition to many dishes. I first experienced butter-fried sage when Mark’s father prepared it for me in Tuscany. Just tasting one leaf was an amazing culinary experience.
Preparation Time: Includes chilling in the refrigerator for about 1 hour
Difficulty Level: Not too difficult
Serves: two
Ingredients:
400g ricotta, drained
50g grated parmesan or grana padano, pecorino romano
A pinch of sea salt
About 1/8 teaspoon of finely grated nutmeg
1 egg yolk
Optional: 1-2 tablespoons of flour for strengthening the gnudi dough, but not necessary
3-4 tablespoons of durum wheat flour (semolina) for rolling the gnudi balls
For the sauce: About 25 sage leaves and 50g of butter
Black pepper and some grated
hard cheese to serve
Preparation:
- Place the ricotta on a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, roll it up and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Alternatively, you can leave it wrapped in a cloth to stand overnight.
- Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, add grated hard cheese, egg yolk, sea salt, and grated nutmeg.
- Mix to form a smooth dough, then roll it into uniform balls, approximately 2.5cm in size. Roll the balls in durum wheat flour and place them in the refrigerator at +4 degrees for about 30 minutes. You can also refrigerate them overnight, as some recommend, or cook the gnudi without chilling them first.
- Heat water in a wide cooking pot until it boils, add a little sea salt. The water level should be about 10 cm. Reduce the heat to below medium to prevent the gnudi from falling apart when boiling vigorously.
- At the same time, heat a skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Then add the sage leaves to the butter and fry for about a minute until the sage leaves become crispy. Be careful not to burn them to maintain their green color.
- When the browned sage butter is ready, carefully place the gnudi balls into the boiling water with a spoon and cook over low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the balls rise to the water surface.
- To serve, place some of the butter and sage leaves in a bowl or on a plate. Add the gnudi balls, pour over the remaining butter, and add the sage leaves as well. Sprinkle grated hard cheese and black pepper on top.
Ready!!