Gnudi: the word is almost as much fun to roll around your mouth as gnudi themselves, also known as malfatti, thanks to their rustic appearance, and “ricotta gnocchi” – although, in truth, the resemblance between the two dumplings is largely visual. Gnocchi have a starchy base, such as potato or flour, while gnudi are, at their simplest, little more than featherlight clouds of fluffy fresh ricotta, often dressed with nothing fancier than melted butter.
In fact the Florentine term gnudi, or naked, refers to their resemblance to ravioli minus the pasta: the famous restaurateur Alvaro Maccioni claimed that they’re “very popular with people on a diet or those who think that pasta is fattening” – but presumably not butter or parmesan cheese.
Happily, they’re considerably easier to make than either ravioli or gnocchi, so if you’re yet to sample the pleasures of the naked lunch, or indeed dinner, throw caution to the wind and dive in.
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.
Bloomfield explains that gnudi are “temperamental – sometimes they’re ready to cook after a day in the fridge, sometimes it takes two or three”, but that it’s better to be safe than sorry: “it’s easy to get right, as long as you give them three days… but not much longer, or the skin will get too dense”. If you’d prefer to eat sooner, note that Henry’s versions require only an hour’s chilling time.
Gnudi: the word is almost as much fun to roll around your mouth as gnudi themselves, also known as malfatti, thanks to their rustic appearance, and “ricotta gnocchi” – although, in truth, the resemblance between the two dumplings is largely visual. Gnocchi have a starchy base, such as potato or flour, while gnudi are, at their simplest, little more than featherlight clouds of fluffy fresh ricotta, often dressed with nothing fancier than melted butter.
Stevie Parle is also a fan of the flour-free method, perhaps unsurprisingly, because he’s done stints in the kitchen at both the Spotted Pig and the River Cafe, which also advocates it in their Classic Italian Cookbook. Diana Henry, whose new book How to Eat a Peach, introduced me to the delights of gnudi, uses just a handful – useful if you want to cook the gnudi immediately, but if you can bear to wait a few days, be brave and leave it out, along with the accompanying eggs.
Bloomfield suggests piping the mixture into lines, then cutting off individual pieces to roll, a strategy that no doubt saves time in a busy professional kitchen, but proves needlessly complicated in mine – even the ice-cream scoop alternative from J Kenji López–Alt on Serious Eats feels like an unnecessary faff when all you need is a teaspoon and a clean, damp pair of hands (Henry reckons they work better than floured hands, and I’m inclined to agree – they’re easier to clean, too).
That said, the rather less shy and retiring parmesan is a crucial ingredient in gnudi (the Cannas use pecorino, but my testers prefer the richer, sweeter flavour of its better-known cousin), though you can have too much of a good thing. Without the peas to balance it, the vast quantities in Parle’s recipe would drown out all the other flavours, while Bloomfield’s are almost too restrained, demanding a liberal sprinkle of extra cheese on top: I’ve gone for a happy medium.
Gnudi: This is the Italian version of Gnocchi Parisienne, inspired by the filling in a ravioli without the wrapper. A “nude ravioli,” as it were. Gnudi is a pillowy dumpling containing ricotta, egg yolks (optional), cheese and just enough (semolina) flour to hold the dumpling together when poached.
Gnocchi Parisienne: A softer dumpling containing ricotta or other soft cheese, plus flour, eggs, butter, water, sometimes cheese, sometimes Dijon mustard, sometimes fresh herbs.
Hari Pulapaka is a math professor at Stetson University and the James Beard-nominated chef and co-owner of the award-winning Cress Restaurant in DeLand.
Recently, I developed this recipe for gnudi to serve as a course at a Beard House dinner. I have cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City on multiple (five, if one is counting) occasions, and this most recent one was in April. We were invited to showcase the globally inspired flavors of Cress Restaurant. The sold-out dinner featured sustainable seafood (lionfish, stone crab, by-catch octopus), punchy street food-inspired dishes, and elevated fusion cuisine with nontraditional flavor combinations. The courses were paired with wines and cocktails by Cress sommelier and general manager, my wife Jenneffer Pulapaka.
This recipe shows that classical flavors can be timeless. Traditionally, gnudi would be made with ricotta cheese, but for me, the concept is a canvas. In using Gorgonzola, I am paying homage to Northern Italian cuisine. Ravioli filled with Gorgonzola, nutmeg and dressed with a sage-infused brown butter garnished with walnuts is a classic dish, and Ive simply revealed it in the spirit of gnudi.
Ricotta Gnocchi- and why they are gnudi or Naked & Why yours are falling apart |Christine Cushing
FAQ
Is gnudi the same as gnocchi?
What does gnudi in Italian mean?
What is a substitute for semolina in gnudi?
What is gnocchi made of ricotta cheese called?
What is the difference between gnocchi and Gnudi?
In less romantic terms, gnudi can be thought of as nude ravioli, as the ingredients are quite similar to ravioli filling. The “g” is silent in both words; thus, gnocchi is pronounced “nyoh-kee,” while gnudi is pronounced “nyoo-dee” or simply “noo-dee.” Next time you dine out, you will gno the difference!
Are gnocchi and Gnudi gluten-free?
These delicate pillows are similar to their cousin gnocchi but made with ricotta cheese instead of cooked potato. Picture a ravioli without the pasta. In fact, gnudi can easily be made gluten-free. Saute them in butter and sage leaves, served with fresh mozzarella, cracked black pepper and topped with fresh basil.
What is the origin of gnocchi?
Gnocchi comes from the Italian word nocca, meaning “knuckle,” and are small, thick dumplings made from potatoes, plus, principally, flour, eggs, and Parmesan (there is significant variation in recipes across Italian regions).
What is a gnocchi pillow?
Gnudi pronounced ‘nu -dee’ translated from the Flourintene Italian meaning ‘naked’ are dumpling-sized balls of ricotta, flour, egg yolk and salt simmered in water for 2 minutes. These delicate pillows are similar to their cousin gnocchi but made with ricotta cheese instead of cooked potato. Picture a ravioli without the pasta.