Green Gnocchi from an Umbria Cooking Vacation

We love any type of gnocchi, whether made with potatoes, semolina, cheese, or, as in this case, a combination of spinach and ricotta. In Tuscany you would find these called “gnudi,” as they are like the “nude” filling of a ricotta pasta without the noodle encasing it. But outside Tuscany you’ll find them called spinach and ricotta gnocchi or, as in this recipe from our friends in Umbria, “green gnocchi.”

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Green Gnocchi

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes (plus overnight)
Cook time: 5 minutes
Cook method: Boil

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 lbs fresh spinach
• 9 oz fresh sheep ricotta (if not sheep ricotta, cow ricotta will do as well)
• 5 1/4 oz bread crumbs
• 5 1/4 oz parmesan cheese
• 5 1/4 oz flour
• 7 oz butter
• 3 eggs
• Bacon
• Sage
• Salt, pepper, & nutmeg

Instructions

1. First, clean the spinach and then boil the spinach leaves in water.

2. Sauté the spinach along with olive oil and a bit of garlic.

3. Chop the spinach mixture finely, removing the water, and when it is cold, place in a bowl, adding the ricotta cheese, grated parmesan, bread crumbs, flour, and eggs.

4. Add to the mixture dashes of salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and then mix really well.

5. Roll the mixture into small gnocchi balls, and place in the fridge for a few hours. (It’s best to prepare them the day before serving!)

6. Melt butter in a pan and add some bacon (after slicing into small bits) and sage. Leave it on the stove until the butter has turned a little brown, and the bacon and sage are crispy.

7. Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water; when they start to float after a few minutes, they are done.

8. Take the gnocchi out of the water and put on a plate. Top them with Parmesan cheese a sauce made with melted butter, sage, and crispy bacon.

Try another recipe for gnudi pasta.

Try a recipe for Sorrento-style gnocchi from the Amalfi Coast!

By Peg Kern

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