But way more exciting than mac and cheese? Gnudi. The ricotta-based dumplings, cousins of gnocchi, are prepared like a pasta but they're made of cheese. Sort of like eating ravioli filling without the wrapper, but with a soft, pillowy texture and an infinitely more delicious taste. I don't think you can go wrong with anything filled with fresh ricotta — um, I made my own for the first time ... how exciting is that! —and a mix of Asiago and Parmesan cheeses.
I first tried gnudi at Burlington's Bluebird Tavern, where the dumplings were so soft, they literally melted in my mouth. Amazing. So imagine how excited I was to find a recipe on owner Sue Bette's personal blog! Obviously, the gnudi served at the Bluebird is probably based on her chef's recipe, not her own, but I still trusted that the owner of such a delicious dining spot had a good one up her sleeve.
She totally does.
I recommend making your own ricotta. I'd always been daunted by the idea, but then I read a few tutorials and was surprised at how simple it is. Basically, you bring whole milk, heavy cream and salt to a simmer, then mix in lemon juice to curdle it into curds and whey. (There are versions that use buttermilk or vinegar instead of lemon juice for the acid, and I might try one of those next time.) Here's the recipe I used. For this gnudi, you'll need to make two cups of ricotta.
From there, it's just a matter of mixing the dough, rolling it out by hand, cutting it into little pillows, and boiling. I would normally be intimidated by a recipe with so many steps, but this is really, really simple. Promise. Dave and I agreed that this was one of our best dinners to date. Happily, this recipe makes 4-6 servings, so we have half of the uncooked gnudi waiting for us in the freezer.
Gnudi (Ricotta Dumplings)
Recipe slightly adapted from Feel Good Eats
serves 4-6
2 cups fresh whole-milk ricotta, drained if wet
1/2 cup Parmesan, finely shredded
1/2 cup Asiago, finely shredded
2 teaspoons salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, comine the ricotta, Parmesan, Asiago, salt, pepper and egg. Mix well. Add the flour in small batches — 1/2 cup at a time — and gently mix until the dough holds together. It only took 1 cup of flour for my batch.
Transfer the dough to a large wooden board, lightly floured, and knead briefly — no more than 1 minute — until the dough is smooth and pliable. Don't overwork the dough; this can lead to tough, dense gnudi. Cut the dough into quarters.
With lightly floured hands, roll each segment of the dough into a long snake, about 3/4-inch wide. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 1-inch pieces. Take a fork and make a light imprint on each side with the tines; this helps the sauce, etc. stick to the dough later. Lay each piece in a single layer on a plate while you finish the other segments of dough. When you have a full plate, cover it with a kitchen cloth and refrigerate.
To freeze gnudi for later, put a plate in the freezer until the dough is frozen, then transfer to a plastic bag for storage. (You don't need to defrost before cooking; just place in boiling water.)
Prepare a sauce. I just heated up good marinara sauce in a large pan and kept it warm for the gnudi.
Posts
