Spinach Gnudi

5 from 19 votes

You're going to love these Spinach Gnudi! Made with ricotta cheese and spinach, these soft, pillowy dumplings are deceptively easy to make. Serve them on a bed of homemade tomato sauce (recipe included) for the perfect family-friendly meal.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Resting time15

Total Time1 15

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 449kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Pasta pot

Ingredients

Gnudi:

2 cups good quality, whole milk ricotta cheese, drained of any excess water*
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed very dry
4 large egg yolks
2.5 ounces freshly grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about ⅔ cup) plus extra for garnish
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided use

Simple Tomato Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the ricotta, spinach, egg yolks, grated cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl until well combined. Stir in ½ cup flour until a sticky dough forms.
Pile the remaining cup of flour on a cutting board or plate. Drop a large spoonful of the dough (slightly larger than the size of a walnut) onto the flour and lightly toss it around in the flour until it is coated.
Gently form the dough into a ball with your hands, shaking off any excess flour. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should have about 24 gnudi in total. Discard the remaining flour or save for another use. Chill the gnudi in the fridge for 15 minutes while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes. Season the sauce with the oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes and then stir in the basil.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Working in batches, place the gnudi on a slotted spoon and gently lower them into the water. Cook the gnudi until they float to the surface of the water, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove them with a slotted spoon.
To serve, spoon some tomato sauce onto each plate and place the gnudi on top. Garnish with grated cheese.

Notes

For nutritional calculations, I did not include the full 1 cup flour used for dredging the gnudi but rather used ¼ cup, which is the amount of flour that adhered to the gnudi (the rest is discarded).

* You want to use a high quality dryer ricotta cheese for this recipe, like Galbani brand. If using a wetter ricotta, drain out any excess water first with a cheesecloth or dish towel.

To save time, use a good quality jarred marinara sauce instead of making homemade tomato sauce.

Nutrition