This isn’t the typical potato gnocchi but it is a lighter version made with ricotta, known as gnudi. My quick and easy gnudi recipe is not only simple to make, it’s delicious.
You can make these ahead of time and they freeze quite well. Make them into little balls (super simple – the kids can help too!) or roll them out and cut them like traditional gnochhi if you prefer.
If you want the traditional gnocchi recipe, you can find mine here! Gnudi as well as traditional gnocchi can be served as a side dish or you can turn it into a main!
Simple Homemade Gnudi Recipe
Be sure to scroll down for a printable recipe card.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1 egg (or 2 egg yolks)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. ricotta cheese – I like to use creamy ricotta
Instructions:
Mix all of the ingredients together. The dough should be slightly sticky but you need to be able to handle it. Add more flour about a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky to handle.
Put in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Separate the dough into quarters to make it easier to work with. Pinch off a piece and roll into balls about 3/4 inch in size or so. You may need to use some flour on your hands to keep the balls from sticking.
Some people prefer to make these in the same way that traditional gnocchi is made. In this case, roll each quarter of the dough into a snake. Cut those strips of dough into 1 inch long pieces.
Pro Tip: you can freeze some of the gnudi for future use. I like to lay it on a tray or some other flat surface and freeze it until it’s solid enough to place into freezer bags.
To cook it, bring water with a touch of salt in it to a boil and add the gnudi. The gnudi should begin to float on the surface of the water. When they do, continue to cook for 2-3 minutes and they should be done!
An alternative to boiling is to pan fry the gnudi. This gives them a golden outer “crust” with the soft interior.
Suggested toppings for the gnudi:
Of course you can top the gnudi with your favorite pasta sauce, but here are a couple options that I really like.
Try my Spinach Basil Pesto or my Cilantro Pine Nut Pesto. They’re both SO good on gnudi.
Other favorite options – melted butter, lemon juice, black pepper, and Parmesan; brown butter and fresh sage leaves; olive oil, black pepper, and fresh basil leaves
Print
Simple Gnudi Recipe (Ricotta Gnocchi)
This isn't the typical potato gnocchi but it is a lighter version made with ricotta, known as gnudi. My quick and easy gnudi recipe is not only simple to make, it's delicious.
Mix all of the ingredients together. The dough should be slightly sticky but you need to be able to handle it. Add more flour about a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky to handle.
Put in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Separate the dough into quarters to make it easier to work with. Pinch off a piece and roll into balls about 3/4 inch in size or so. You may need to use some flour on your hands to keep the balls from sticking.
Some people prefer to make these in the same way that traditional gnocchi is made. In this case, roll each quarter of the dough into a snake. Cut those strips of dough into 1 inch long pieces.
To cook it, bring water with a touch of salt in it to a boil and add the gnudi. The gnudi should begin to float on the surface of the water. When they do, continue to cook for 2-3 minutes and they should be done!
An alternative to boiling is to pan fry the gnudi. This gives them a golden outer “crust” with the soft interio
Recipe Notes
Pro Tip: you can freeze some of the gnudi for future use. I like to lay it on a tray or some other flat surface and freeze it until it’s solid enough to place into freezer bags.
Nutrition Facts
Simple Gnudi Recipe (Ricotta Gnocchi)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 254Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 81mg27%
Sodium 494mg21%
Potassium 115mg3%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 420IU8%
Calcium 266mg27%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Gnudi are soft, creamy Italian pillows of ricotta and Parmesan cheese—they are similar to gnocchi but are made with little or no flour. The word gnudi means "naked"—that makes sense because they are like cheese ravioli without the pasta covering.
Why is my gnocchi mushy? Make sure your water is boiling, added salt, and don't overload the pan. When the gnocchi hits the boiling water, you want them to cook quickly. Adding too many to the pan will cool the water down too much, and they could go mushy or fall apart.
Gnudi (Italian: [ˈɲuːdi]), also called malfatti, are gnocchi-like dumplings made with ricotta cheese and semolina instead of potato flour. The result is often a lighter, "pillowy" dish, unlike the often denser, chewier gnocchi.
Comparatively speaking, ricotta gnocchi are quicker to prepare (just mix everything together- no potatoes to boil here!) and the texture is light and fluffy, in a unique “spongey” type way. As for the taste, potato gnocchi taste like…. potato, whereas ricotta gnocchi are more mild in flavor.
Gnudi is a nice Italian meal that is very similar to Gnocchi. It is roughly translated to mean “naked” in Italian. Gnudi are gnocchi-like dumplings made with ricotta cheese and spinach instead of potato. They are often light, tender and creamy.
Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.
Gnocchi should only be reheated once. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) states you should always reheat food until it is steaming all the way through. You should also make sure that the gnocchi is appropriate to cook before reheating. If the gnocchi is mushy or sticky you should discard it straight away.
A dough is formed, they are divided into small nuggets, and can then be gently fried, boiled or baked. Gnocchi are finished by being tossed in a sauce, olive oil or melted butter and herbs. Cooked gnocchi should have a light, squidgy texture, and should not be tough and chewy.
If the dough is too soft and floury, do not add more flour. More flour will transform your gnocchi dough into a cement brick! Instead, transfer your dough back onto the pastry board and continue to work the dough patiently until it dries out a little bit more.
Be cautious while cooking because gnudi can fall apart if there is not enough flour or semolina added. I usually make sure to test one rolled out ball before rolling the rest. Test just incase you need to add more ap flour or semolina. The amount of flour or semolina needed cannot be determined exactly.
Whatever works best for you! 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.
Plus, it has too much protein: High-protein wheat results in chewy gnocchi. If you want to be true to Italian gnocchi, look for imported Italian flour marked "00 tenero," which is milled from soft wheat with a low protein content.
You can substitute it, but consider these few factors, there is a lot more salt in cream cheese than in ricotta so you will have to adjust the over all salt. Cream cheese is a bit more tart than ricotta.
The most effective way to explain the “gn” sound is to equate it to the front end of The Three Stooges' “nyuk, nyuk,” a rather sideways explanation to be sure, but accurate. So gnudi is simply “nudie” with that prefix; gnocchi is “oaky” the same way.
Mini Potato Gnocchi are a tasty alternative to the classic Potato Gnocchi, a typical, traditional Italian dish. They were created from the original recipe that combines selected potatoes and soft flour, but the difference is they only take 2 minutes to cook.
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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