If you haven't had gnudi before, think of them as a cross between gnocchi and the inside of a ravioli. Think of gnudi as 'nude' ravioli because you keep the best part (cheesy filling) without all that pesky pasta stuff to get in the way.)
Ricotta Gnudi
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh ricotta, drained if very wet (recipe follows)
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup all purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 2 cups prepared Marinara Sauce
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, 3/4 cup of the flour, the egg, cheese, salt, and pepper. Use a wooden spoon to mix ingredients together well. Lightly flour your work surface and a baking sheet for holding the shaped gnocchi.
- With floured hands knead the ricotta mixture briefly; it will be quite wet and sticky at this point. Dump the mixture out onto your work surface.
- Cut off a piece of the gnocchi dough and try rolling it into a 3/4-inch thick log. If you can't get it to roll, add a little more flour to the dough and try again. You want as little flour as possible to keep these together so the resulting gnocchi will be light and ethereal. Cut the log into 1-inch pieces and then into little balls.
- If you have a gnocchi board, hold it at a 45-degree angle over your floured baking sheet and roll each ball down the length of it to give the gnocchi grooves. As the gnocchi nears the end of the board, let it drop onto the baking sheet.
- If you don't have a gnocchi board, hold a fork, tines facing down, and roll the ball down the length of the tines. Repeat until all of the dough is rolled and cut. Freeze the gnudi, about 1 hour. (Because they are so soft, they are much easier to handle so do this even if you plan to use them soon.)
- To serve, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a gentle boil. In batches, drop the gnocchi into the water and cook until they float, about 1 to 2 minutes. As each batch cooks, remove them with a slotted spoon and keep them warm or transfer them directly to the sauce they are being served with.
Marinara sauce
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small white onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 (8-oz.) cans San Marzano tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 12 leaves basil
- 2 teaspoons pepperoncini
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- In a large saucepot, sweat the onion and garlic in the extra virgin olive oil until translucent, about six minutes. Add wine and reduce by about half.
- Add in the tomatoes and simmer for about 20-30 minutes with the pepperocini flakes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Finish with basil.
About Chef Barbara Lynch:
Barbara Lynch is the owner of the follwing Restaurants in Boston:
No. 9 Park
9 Park St.
Boston, Massachusetts
Phone: 617-742-9991
The Butcher Shop
552 Tremont St.
Boston, Massachusetts
Phone: 617-423-4800
B&G Oysters
550 Tremont St.
Boston, Massachusetts
Phone: 617-423-0550
Drink
348 Congress St.
Boston, Massachusetts
Phone: 617-695-1806
Sportello
348 Congress St.
Boston, Massachusetts
Phone: 617-737-1234
For more information about Bruce Aidells, visit www.aidells.com
