📋 Ricotta Spinach Gnudi

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.

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword gnudi, malfatti, ricotta spinach gnocchi

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Cool off time 15

Total Time 45

Servings people

Calories 420kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

Ingredients

4.4 lb Fresh spinach yield 2.8 lb - 1.3 kg cooked spinach
1 lb ricotta
3 egg yolk
1 cup flour
5 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
⅓ cup butter
1 sprig sage
1 teaspoon salt
salt in the water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the gnocchi dough

Cook the spinach in a frying pan at medium heat
4.4 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 it
1 lb ricotta
Add to the spinach and mix until they are combined
Add the egg yolks, the Parmesan and salt
3 egg yolk, 5 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
Stir until all is combined
1 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 flour
1 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 gnudi
⅓ 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