The gnocchi we make here are not classic potato gnocchi but ricotta gnocchi. Ricotta gnocchi are called “gnudi” (noedie) in Italian. We’ll make them with Ricotta van Berloumi. The best! They are delicious in any sauce. In gnocchi there is always flour but we also make a version in the end without flour with only hard wheat semolina on the outside. These are extra light, milky and cheesy but have one big drawback. You have to wait 48 hours for they are ready.

How to prepare ricotta gnocchi

Mix 350g of our Ricotta with a handheld mixer with 70 g finely grated Parmesan, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk mixed up. Keep on mixing and add 150 g flour. The dough will still be moist but still tends to form a ball. If necessary, you can add a little bit more flour. However, don’t knead or mix not too long so that the gnudi will not get tough.

Gnocchi shapes

Divide the dough into four parts and roll each part into a long sausage about two centimetres thick. Cut the sausage into small pieces and sprinkle with wheat semolina. You can shape the gnudi rounder now or leave them as they are. The gnudi can now be processed immediately but it is even better to leave them overnight in one layer in the semolina. These gnudi can also be frozen very well.

Gnudi in sage butter.

In Italy, dishes like these are eaten as Primo Piatto (so before the Secundo). The Primo usually consists of staple products such as pasta, gnocchi, polenta and risotto. While the Secundo consists of meat, fish and poultry. To eat this dish as a complet meal, you can serve a sumptuous salad with it. There is no need for meat as these gnudi are already full of high quality proteins.

Heat 100 g of real butter in a pan. Use a pan that is large enough to contain all the gnudi. When the butter stops bubbling throw a handful of sage leaves into the skillet until they start to crisp up. This will only takes 15 seconds. Quickly remove the pan from the heat and immediately remove the sage leaves from the butter. Drain the fried sage on kitchen paper.

Cook the gnudi in soft boiling water for about two minutes. They’re going to float. Spoon them with a skimmer from the boiling water immediately into the hot sage butter. Some of the cooking water is allowed in the pan.

Fry the gnudi on high heat until they are a little brown and the butter together with the cooking water forms a sauce (emulsion). Add a little lemon juice or a few lemon slices to taste and put the sage leaves back in the pan.

If you’re not a lover of butter sauce. The gnudi also pair well with tomato or marinara sauce.

In this Serious Eats video you can see how simple it can be. The Ricotta of Berloumi is dry enough so you don’t have to dry him. By drying the Ricotta you have to add less flour and that benefits the taste.

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