Spinach Gnudi

Cook Time 45 minutes (+1 hour chilling)

Servings 6

Ingredients

500g frozen spinach, thawed

500g (2 cups) fresh full-fat ricotta, drained

1 egg

30g (heaped 1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra to serve

150g (1 cup) plain flour (ideally Tipo 00), plus extra for dusting

salt and pepper

80g butter

8 sage leaves

Method

Place the spinach in a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The most efficient way to do this is to take two or three small handfuls at a time and squeeze. Transfer to a food processor and pulse 3–4 times to finely chop. Add the ricotta, egg, parmesan, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of flour and a pinch of salt and pepper and pulse 2–3 times until the mixture just comes together and forms a sticky dough.

Line a tray with baking paper and dust with a little flour. Tip the remaining flour into a shallow dish. Using a tablespoon as a rough guide and, with lightly floured hands, shape 50 cent–sized portions of the dough into gnudi (dumplings). Place in the flour to completely coat, then roll between your hands into balls and place on the prepared tray. Repeat with the remaining dough. Arrange the gnudi in a single layer on the tray and place in the fridge to firm up for 1 hour or, even better, overnight.

Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium–low heat and cook until the butter starts to foam. Continue to cook until the butter reaches noisette stage, then add the sage and remove from the heat.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a gentle boil. (If the water is rapidly boiling, the delicate gnudi will break up.) Add the gnudi in two batches and poach for 2–3 minutes until they rise to the surface. Remove the gnudi with a slotted spoon and arrange five or six on each serving plate. Drizzle over the butter, add a few sage leaves and serve with a sprinkle of extra nutmeg and parmesan.

NOTE:

The gnudi can be made a day or two ahead. Simply cover the gnudi on the tray with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. Or they can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. If freezing, place the gnudi in a single layer in your container, top with baking paper, then add another layer of gnudi. Repeat until all the gnudi are added. When ready to eat, plunge the gnudi direct from the freezer into a saucepan of simmering salted water.