Ricotta spinach Gnudi, also known as Malfatti, are pillowy gnocchi made with spinach and ricotta, no potatoes. Their names Gnudi "Naked" or Malfatti "Badly Made" refer to the fact that they are made only with the filling of spinach ricotta ravioli, without the pasta around it. They are boiled like gnocchi and then seasoned with melted butter flavored with sage.
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These ricotta spinach gnocchi are not the typical gnocchi made with potatoes.
They are made with the same ingredients as the ravioli filling ricotta and spinach but without the pasta dough.
They are held together with egg and Parmesan cheese. They are only coated with flour, so they remain soft and fluffy.
Cooked in boiling water like potato gnocchi, they float once ready.
They are usually seasoned with butter, sage, and more Parmesan in Italy, but you can also serve them in tomato sauce.
They are one of many other types of gnocchi recipes without potatoes.
Here you can find all the gnocchi recipes: potato gnocchi, fluffy gnocchi, vegan gnocchi, gnocchi alla Romana, Parisian gnocchi.
Although, gnocchi are not only made with potatoes.
For a complete view of all the gnocchi recipes, check the web story: 9 Gnocchi recipes made from scratch
Ingredients
The ingredients you need for this recipe are:
- Spinach: You can use either fresh or frozen spinach. When cooked, spinach will reduce to 60% of their original weight. If you are using fresh spinach, you need 150% of the final cooked weight.
- Ricotta: you can use cow, sheep, or goat ricotta; make sure it is properly drained
- Eggs: we will only use egg yolks
- Flour: it is used for coating only
- Parmesan: you can also use Pecorino
- Butter: for seasoning
- Salt for seasoning
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe follows three steps: the gnocchi dough preparation, the boiling, and the serving.
Preparing the gnocchi dough
- Cook the spinach in a frying pan at medium heat
- Cover with a lid to let them cook in their own steam
Hint: You can add some olive oil or butter to the pan, but it is unnecessary. They will slowly cook in their own steam.
- Once the spinach are cooked, remove them from the heat and let them cool down
- Squeeze out the water and place them in a bowl
Hint: you can also use frozen spinach. The spinach must be thoroughly drained from the water. You may want to squeeze them a couple of times
- Roughly chop the spinach
- Place them into a bowl
Hint: you do not want the spinach chopped too finely as they form the structure of the gnudi
- In a separate bowl, work the ricotta with a fork to soften it
- Add to the spinach and mix until they are combined
Hint: the ricotta should also be properly drained from its water
- Add the egg yolks, the Parmesan and salt
- Stir until all is combined
Hint: The most difficult part of the recipe is keeping the mixture compact when boiling. In some recipes, they add flour to the mixture. I prefer using egg yolks only. Egg yolks keep the mixture firm but light, while flour makes the gnudi heavy and chunky.
Boiling the gnudi
- Prepare a pan of salted boiling water and place a bowl with some flour next to it.
- With the help of two spoons, shape a ball of the ricotta spinach mixture into an oval 2 in - 5 cm long. Make sure the surface is smooth
- Coat it with flour
- Place the gnudi in the boiling water
- Once they start floating, you can remove them with a colander spoon and place them in a ceramic pan
Hint: the water should be boiling at medium heat; if it boils excessively, it may break the gnudi.
How to serve them
- Melt some butter with the sage and pour it over the gnudi
- Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and serve
Hint: If you want to serve them later, you can bake them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until they are nicely hot.
Substitutions and variation
Some regions use leaf vegetables other than spinach, like swiss chard or chicory. The result is very similar.
In Italy, we usually season them with butter, sage, and Parmesan, but you can also serve them in tomato sauce.
You can also prepare them in advance and bake them before serving them topped with Parmesan cheese or Pecorino.
Equipment
You do not need any special equipment to make these gnocchi. A frying pan to cook the spinach and a saucepan to boil the gnocchi.
You will also need a strainer spoon to remove the gnudi from the boiling water.
Use nice ceramic or pyrex baking dishes to serve them on the table.
Storage
You can store the gnudi in the fridge for up to 3 days.
They are not suitable for freezing as they can get way too soggy.
Top tip
- Some recipes boil the spinach, but it is best to steam them. We do not want the spinach to retain too much water.
- You can also use frozen spinach. The spinach must be thoroughly drained from the water. You may want to squeeze them a couple of times.
- The ricotta should also be properly drained from its water
- You do not want the spinach chopped too finely as they form the structure of the gnudi.
- The most difficult part of the recipe is keeping the mixture compact when boiling. In some recipes, they add flour to the mixture. I prefer using egg yolks only. Egg yolks keep the mixture firm but light, while the flour makes the gnudi heavy and chunky.
- The water should be boiling at medium heat; if it boils excessively, it may break the gnudi.
- If you want to serve them later, you can bake them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until they are nicely hot.
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📋 Ricotta Spinach Gnudi
Ingredients
Instructions
Preparing the gnocchi dough
- Cook the spinach in a frying pan at medium heat4.4 lb Fresh spinach
- Cover with a lid to let them cook in their own steam
- Once the spinach are cooked, remove them from the heat and let them cool down
- Squeeze out the water and place them in a bowl
- Roughly chop the spinach
- Place them into a bowl
- In a separate bowl, work the ricotta with a fork to soften it1 lb ricotta
- Add to the spinach and mix until they are combined
- Add the egg yolks, the Parmesan and salt3 egg yolk, 5 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
- Stir until all is combined1 teaspoon salt
Boiling the gnudi
- Prepare a pan of salted boiling water and place a bowl with some flour next to it.
- With the help of two spoons, shape a ball of the ricotta spinach mixture into an oval 2 in - 5 cm long
- Coat it with flour1 cup flour
- Place the gnudi in the boiling water
- Once they start floating, you can remove them with a colander spoon and place them in a ceramic pan
How to serve them
- Melt some butter with some sage and pour it over the gnudi⅓ cup butter, 1 sprig sage, salt
- Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and serve
Video
Notes
- Some recipes boil the spinach, but it is best to steam them. We do not want the spinach to retain too much water.
- You can also use frozen spinach. The spinach must be thoroughly drained from the water. You may want to squeeze them a couple of times.
- The ricotta should also be properly drained from its water
- You do not want the spinach chopped too finely as they form the structure of the gnudi.
- The most difficult part of the recipe is keeping the mixture compact when boiling. In some recipes, they add flour to the mixture. I prefer using egg yolks only. Egg yolks keep the mixture firm but light, while the flour makes the gnudi heavy and chunky.
- The water should be boiling at medium heat; if it boils excessively, it may break the gnudi.
- If you want to serve them later, you can bake them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until they are nicely hot.
Nutrition
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