Spinach And Ricotta Gnudi With Sage Butter Recipes

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNUDI WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Fit a large pot with a steamer insert. Add enough water to come about 3 inches below bottom of insert, and bring to a simmer. Add spinach, cover, and steam until bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly. Press to remove liquid. Roll spinach in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze to remove any remaining liquid. Transfer to a food processor, and puree until smooth (you should have 1 scant cup).
• Stir together spinach puree, cheeses, salt, pepper, egg yolks, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons flour in a bowl.
• Mound remaining 1/2 cup flour on a cutting board. Using floured hands, gently shape 1 tablespoon spinach mixture into a small log. Drop it into the flour, and quickly roll to coat lightly. Transfer to a baking sheet that's lightly dusted with semolina. Repeat. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour or until ready to cook (up to overnight).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add half the gnudi, and stir gently to prevent them from sticking together. Cook until gnudi rise to, and remain on, surface, about 7 minutes. Repeat with remaining gnudi.
• Meanwhile, warm 4 plates. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat until dark golden brown. Stir in chopped sage and the sage leaves. Add a little gnudi cooking water to the sauce to loosen.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove gnudi, shaking off excess water, and transfer to plates. Drizzle with sage butter and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNUDI

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spear 1/2 the garlic clove with the tines of a fork. Place a strainer or colander over a large bowl. When the oil is warm, add half the spinach, cover the skillet with a lid or baking sheet, and cook, stirring every 30 seconds with the forked garlic, until completely wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Tip the cooked spinach into the strainer or colander to drain.
• Repeat with the rest of the spinach, using the remaining oil and the other 1/2 garlic clove and then adding it to the already cooked spinach. Let cool. Remove the excess water by either squeezing the spinach in your hands, wringing it in a clean kitchen towel, or pressing down on it with the back of a spatula or a spoon. If you're not using baby spinach, roughly chop the spinach.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta and spinach until well combined. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano, egg, and flour and stir until combined and then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and generously dust with flour. Using 2 large spoons (soup spoons work well), take a heaping spoonful of the mixture (about 1 ounce | 30 g) and shape it into miniature egg-shaped dumplings or quenelles by passing it repeatedly between the spoons, turning and smoothing the sides as you do so. (Alternatively, you can use a spoon to scoop up some of the mixture and use floured fingers to gently form it into an oval.) Carefully place it on the floured parchment. You should end up with 20 to 30 gnudi. Dust the gnudi with a little flour, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a cool place until ready to cook. (You can refrigerate the gnudi for up to 24 hours before cooking.)
• When ready to cook the gnudi, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the gnudi to the water, reduce the heat, and gently simmer until they rise to the surface, which indicates that they're cooked through, which should happen after 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift out the gnudi, let them drain for a moment, and then gently place them back on the baking sheet.
• In a skillet over medium heat, warm the grapeseed oil and fry the sage leaves in batches (6 to 8 at a time) for about 5 seconds. Use tongs or a fork to transfer the sage leaves to paper towels. Rest assured, the sage will crisp as it cools.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter along with the reserved sage sprigs. As soon as the butter begins to foam and take on a nutty brown color, add some of the gnudi to the skillet, making sure they're not too crowded. Cook until the gnudi just start to crisp and brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully turn them over and cook on the other side until just browned, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Divide the gnudi among plates. Arrange the fried sage leaves around the gnudi and, if desired, drizzle with some of the sage butter remaining in the skillet. Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano and serve immediately.

RICOTTA GNUDI WITH BROWNED BUTTER

Steps:

• Put the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, nutmeg, pepper, egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup of the flour in a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork. Continue to mix until the dough comes together and forms a ball, adding an additional 1/4 cup flour if needed.
• Lightly flour your hands and roll the mixture into quarter-sized balls; there should be 25 to 30 balls. Place the gnudi onto a lightly floured tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, add the oil, capers and sage leaves to a small saute pan. Place over medium heat and fry until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. If the sage leaves become too dark, remove them before the capers. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a low boil.
• Add the butter and sage sprig to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and continue to cook, swirling the pan in a circular motion to prevent the butter from burning, until it starts to turn golden brown and begins to smell nutty. Squeeze the juice from a lemon wedge into the pan to stop the butter from turning too dark and burning.
• Once the water is at a low boil, add the gnudi and cook until they float, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnudi directly into the browned butter. Stir to coat.
• Plate the gnudi onto a serving plate and garnish with the fried sage and capers and additional Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve with lemon wedges.

RICOTTA GNUDI WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Line a sieve with a piece of muslin or a new J-cloth and place over a bowl. Tip the ricotta into the cloth, gently gather up the ends and secure with an elastic band. Leave the ricotta to drain for 4 hrs.
• Transfer the drained ricotta to a clean bowl. Beat in the hard cheese, egg yolk, a good grating of nutmeg, then season well. Tip the semolina into a baking dish or large plastic container. Wet your hands, dip them in the semolina and, working quickly, scoop 1 heaped tsp of the ricotta mix into your hands and gently roll into a ball (don't worry if it's not perfect). Place the ball in the semolina dish and roll around so that it is totally covered. Pick it up and roll between the palms of your hands to create a smooth ball, then pop back into the semolina. Continue with the rest of the mixture. You should make about 24 balls. Once all the balls are formed and are sitting in the semolina, cover loosely with baking parchment (not cling film), put the dish in the fridge and leave to chill for at least 12 hrs, although 24 hrs is better - this is so the balls of ricotta form a skin around the outside.
• When ready to serve, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and lower in half the gnudi. Cook gently for 2-3 mins - they're ready when they float to the top - then scoop out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sieve. Repeat with the remaining gnudi. Slowly melt the butter in a small frying pan. Add the sage leaves, making sure they don't overlap, and let them sizzle until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. If the butter has turned a nutty brown, remove from the heat; if not, continue to bubble until lightly browned. Divide the gnudi between warmed plates, drizzle over the browned butter, top with the sage and pine nuts, and serve with grated cheese, black pepper and a rocket & red onion salad.

HOMEMADE SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNUDI WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Fit a large pot with a steamer insert. Add enough water to come about 3 inches below bottom of insert, and bring to a simmer. Add spinach, cover, and steam until bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly. Press to remove liquid. Roll spinach in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze to remove any remaining liquid. Transfer to a food processor, and puree until smooth (you should have 1 scant cup).
• Stir together spinach puree, egg yolks, cheeses, 2 tablespoons flour, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Mound 1 cup flour on a cutting board. Using floured hands, gently shape 1 tablespoon spinach mixture into a small log. Drop it into the flour, and quickly roll to coat lightly. Transfer to a baking sheet that's lightly dusted with semolina. Repeat. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to cook (up to overnight).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add half the gnudi, and stir gently to prevent them from sticking together. Cook until gnudi rise to, and remain on, surface, about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining gnudi.
• Meanwhile, warm 4 plates. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chopped sage and the sage leaves. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons gnudi cooking water, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove gnudi from water shake off excess water, and transfer to plates. Drizzle with sage butter. Serve immediately.