What’s the best dish you’ve ever eaten? That’s one of the questions I ask on the Desert Island Dishes podcast and it’s a hard one, I admit. I always feel slightly guilty in asking it because my own personal answer changes constantly and there are many different ways to answer it. The literal way, is to think back and relive the absolute best thing you’ve ever eaten, or the more figurative way where the occasion, people and food all gathered together and formed a snapshot in time forever emblazoned in your memory. I sway towards the latter. Food is so much about occasion and sharing with loved ones, sometimes the simplest thing can be the best purely because of what it represents. The food on a honeymoon, or a longed awaited holiday in a far flung destination, the unexpected deliciousness of a meal that wasn’t planned when your feet were tired and you were ravenous. Many times it has been said that the toast women have eaten straight after the birth of their baby was the best thing they’ve ever eaten. Of course we know that hospital toast is probably not the most delicious toast in the world but we know exactly what they mean about the first bite of something comforting, buttery and friendly when you’re exhausted.
So sometimes food is about so much more than food. But then of course there are times when food is purely about sustenance, a means to an end, wholly unromantic but necessary. And then there are some dishes that you eat where it isn’t about the occasion or the people you were with at all, it’s purely about the food. The memory of the evening is a blur, you don’t remember who you were with but the taste of the dish remains years later. Well, gnudi is that dish for me.
I hadn’t heard of gnudi the first time I ate them in a restaurant in East London, one that’s sadly no longer around. I always think when going out to a restaurant it’s often the most fun to order things you haven’t heard of or tried before, I don’t often want to eat something I could easily cook at home. Now we’ve all eaten thousands of meals over the course of our lives and yet there are certain just dishes that do stick out and that you think about on a regular basis and it’s hard to explain why. It must have been 15 years ago and I still remember that I just couldn’t get over how light they were. If clouds were made of cheese, they’d honestly be gnudi. I remember vividly that it was a sharing plate, and that was something I immediately regretted.
In case you aren’t familiar, gnudi are light pillowy ricotta dumplings that honestly melt in your mouth and are so incredibly good. Most akin to gnocchi but made with ricotta instead of potato, they are far lighter then gnocchi which while delicious, are denser and chewier. Gnudi is the Tuscan word for ‘naked’ or ‘nude’ which makes sense as gnudi are kind of like naked ricotta ravioli I suppose - consisting of cuddly balls of ricotta and spinach without the pasta encasing it which is what makes them so light. They are sometimes called "malfatti" meaning "malformed" which means they are rustic looking, which is good news for cooks like me.
In Tuscany they are traditionally served with brown butter and sage, sprinkled with parmesan. A combination I am wholeheartedly in favour of. In fact if you haven’t made my gnocchi with brown butter and sage, you must, it’s so good and whilst making your own gnocchi makes it even more sensational, it’s a combination that will work well with store bought gnocchi too. A very comforting dish at this time of the year.
Margie Nomura
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October 14, 2023
But I digress, back to the gnudi, in this recipe we actually baste the gently simmered gnudi in brown butter and then serve them with a very simple but delicious tomato sauce, plenty of parmesan and fresh basil and I can’t tell you how good these are.
My top tips for the best gnudi
Buy the best ricotta you can find
If the ricotta isn’t thick enough, you won’t get gorgeous gnudi and they will disintegrate. So seek out thick whole milk ricotta. You can get good stuff in the supermarket but a local Italian deli would also be a great option.
Sprinkle generously with flour
The key to the lightness of the gnudi is using as little flour inside the gnudi as possible but you can go for it when it comes to the outside. Sprinkle the baking tray liberally with flour and also the tops of the gnudi before they go in the fridge. This is what helps to form a protective layer around the gnudi and will stop them falling apart when you boil them.
Chilling is important
I think that could be a lesson in life we could all benefit from and it also applies to the gnudi. They want at least 20 minutes in the fridge before you cook them and are happy sitting in the fridge overnight if you want to make them ahead of time.
Serves 3-4
(but please don’t let that put you off if you’re cooking for one or two - they freeze really well so I recommend making the recipe as is and then you can pop the remaining gnudi in the freezer. See the Notes section for more info.)
Here’s what you need:
