Favorite Family Recipe: Gnudi

From Gastrokid by Hugh Garvey and Matthew Yeomans

We’ve recently been experimenting with variations on the gnudi from Spotted Pig restaurant in New York City. This version there is made with sheep’s milk ricotta, which we have no easy access to. The version at the Spotted Pig is light, pillowy, unctuous, and somehow seemingly weightless, despite being loaded with fat and sauced with about a 1⁄4 cup of sagey brown butter. This stuff is by no means healthy, but if you refrain from feeding your kids Big Macs and the like, once in a while a dish like this is ideal. The kids adore it. But then again, much like all children, they are cheese freaks.

Makes 4 Servings.

15 ounces ricotta, drained

1 large egg, beaten

3⁄4 cup flour

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

A few gratings nutmeg

1⁄2 stick butter

12 or so sage leaves

1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

In a large bowl mix together the ricotta, egg, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until just combined. Using a tablespoon, scoop up a good measure of the mixture and roll into a sphere, much like making a little ricotta snowball roughly 1 1⁄2 inches in diameter. Place on a floured surface. Repeat until you have a whole mess of little gnudi, made in as uniform a size and shape as possible. At this point you should refrigerate the gnudi for at least a half hour before proceeding. You can also freeze them for future use.

Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil, add the gnudi, and cook until they float to the surface.

While the gnudi are gently boiling, melt the butter in a saucepan until it has foamed, the foam has subsided, and the butter starts to turn a honeyed sort of brown. Add the sage leaves and cook, stirring a bit, until super fragrant and a bit crisp.

Once the gnudi is cooked, divide it among bowls and then top with the browned sage butter, with the crispy sage as a garnish. Top with a serious grating of Parmesan. Serve immediately to deafening applause from children of all ages.

Buy Gastrokid: Feeding a Foodie Family in a Fast-Food World (Wiley, 2009) by Hugh Garvey and Matthew Yeomans on Amazon.com.

Photo by Hugh Garvey and Matthew Yeomans.

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