Ricotta gnudis, roasted garlic and sun-dried tomatoes

Our dear Loreto, food blogger at Sabores de Colores, takes us to Italy today, but not with a typical Italian pasta recipe—she brings us a delicious gnudi recipe. To make it she has used, as you can see in the photos, the De Buyer Mineral B iron frying pan. Curious to discover this Italian-scented recipe? Here it is:

Do you know gnudi? Possibly not—let me tell you: they’re typical of Italy’s Tuscany and are ravioli without the pasta, or gnocchi without potato. Their main ingredient is ricotta (Spanish requesón), and they’re so easy to make it’s like preparing fresh pasta filling, cooking it, and serving it as if it were pasta.

In short, little balls of ricotta cheese that we can flavor however we like and serve however we prefer. I’ll tell you how to make them, along with different ways to serve them in addition to the delicious traditional butter and sage sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

For the gnudi (serves 4):

1 head of garlic

5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped

500 gr ricotta

80 gr grated Parmesan

2-3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Salt

250 gr semolina

Butter and sage sauce:

35 gr butter

15 sage leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

METHOD:

1. Wrap the head of garlic in aluminum foil previously drizzled with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool without opening the foil around the garlic.

2. Place the ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer and press to remove any whey. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the Parmesan to the ricotta, add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 4 roasted garlic cloves (the amount is up to you—add more if you want a stronger roasted garlic flavor), 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, and the teaspoon of nutmeg. Combine everything well and adjust with salt and pepper.

4. Next, sprinkle the bottom of a tray with semolina, creating a thin layer. On it, place the gnudi you will shape with two spoons or a small ice cream scoop—use these tools so all the gnudi are the same size. Roll each portion between your palms, and if you find the mixture sticks to your hands, add a little more breadcrumbs. Finally, cover them with semolina and let rest for at least 4 hours in the fridge.

5. Once the resting time has passed, set a pot over the heat with plenty of salted water and bring to a boil. When boiling, cook the gnudi in batches for about 2 minutes, or until they float.

6. Once the gnudi are ready, we will take them out of the pot directly to the pan, where we will have melted the butter with the sage. It’s important that when you transfer the gnudi to the pan you bring a little of the cooking water to finish the sauce. Finally, sprinkle with the Parmesan and toasted pine nuts, swirl the pan to bring the sauce together, and serve immediately.

* You can use gnudi in countless ways. At home we’ve fried them and they make a delicious appetizer—served with your favorite jam, you’ll wow your guests at Christmas. You can also serve them in a soup or au gratin with a light béchamel.

I recommend that if you serve them with sauce, you pair them with a good arugula salad—it’s a perfect match.