Leek Gnudi (Gnudi di Porri)

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Leek gnudi or Gnudi di Porri are a twist on a popular Tuscan dish of humble origins. Gnudi are traditionally little dumplings of sheep’s milk ricotta cheese and spinach, chard, or other greens such as cavolo nero (dinosaur kale), mixed with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fresh nutmeg, egg and often flour. In this version, I use leeks, an ingredient often used in Tuscan cuisine, instead of greens. Sauced with a butter and sage sauce, it’s a simple, delicious and lovely dish that’s quick to prepare.

I came across these leek gnudi at a restaurant called the Ristorante da Pode near San Gimignano over a year ago. They were so delightful that I wanted to create a recipe for these at home so that I could enjoy them more often. It may have taken me a while but I finally got to it! Outside of this restaurant, I’ve never seen this kind of gnudi before. The food nerd in me loves discoveries like this. It’s like finding a treasure! Note, if you will be visiting that area, I recommend this restaurant. It serves delicious traditional Tuscan cuisine in a beautiful setting.

A little background…

Depending on what area of Tuscany you are in, you will see different names for gnudi such as malfatti in Siena, gnudi in Florence and in other areas, strozzapreti, ravioli gnudi, and gnocchi. I’m sure there are other names! There always are… Please leave a comment below if you know of others.

The word gnudi means naked and the traditional spinach gnudi are basically a spinach and ricotta pasta filling without the pasta, hence, naked! Malfatti means poorly made or done. I guess they called these dumplings malfatti because they are handmade and therefore rustic. Although rustic, they are kind of perfect…

Notes on the recipe

Now, to recipe talk. I’ve already mentioned how the dish is composed but there are some things to keep in mind.

The right ingredients

Gnudi are generally made with sheep’s milk ricotta. That ingredient will be difficult for many of you to find. Sheep’s milk ricotta is more flavorful, funkier, and tangier than the cow’s milk variety. To mimic sheep’s milk ricotta, you can add a little goat cheese to your regular ricotta and you will be able to create a more flavorful filling. I used to do that when I lived in the US and it worked very well. If you can find fresh ricotta, that works best.

Another option is to make your own. If you have never tried making ricotta at home, it’s rather easy and will be perfect for this recipe. You will definitely get better results. Supermarket ricotta is very different in flavor and texture. It also contains more liquid. If that’s all you can find, you will need to drain it in a cheesecloth for at least an hour if not overnight. If you have too much moisture in your mixture, you will need thicken more with bread crumbs and flour and that will make your gnudi heavier which is not what you want.

While we are talking about cheese, keep in mind that there is no substitute for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Pecorino Romano is too salty for this dish and varieties labeled parmesan cheese are of inferior quality. Also, remember to grate it fresh. If you buy pre-grated cheese, you may be paying top dollar for something that tastes like sawdust if it’s been sitting around too long. You may also be purchasing something that isn’t actually real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Leek gnudi consistency

In my research on gnudi, I saw that many recipes used equal amounts of ricotta and greens or even more greens than ricotta. Both of those ratios ensure that you have a pretty dense mixture that doesn’t need much flour to hold the dumplings together. That ratio didn’t work with leeks because their flavor became too strong. As a consequence, the mixture was a little wet and needed to be denser. Your mixture shouldn’t be too sticky and should hold it’s shape when you form it. If it’s too loose you won’t have the sensation of eating a dumpling as much as a spoonful of warm ricotta cheese.

To achieve the right consistency, many recipes use flour in the dumplings to help them stay together, some also add bread crumbs. The less flour you use, the better in my opinion, because it ensures that the gnudi are delicate and light. For this version, what worked was a touch of flour plus a bit of bread crumbs. I ended up with dumplings that were tender, light, and satisfying. When I used just flour, I needed to add rather a lot to thicken the mixture which made them heavy and unpleasant.

As you will all be using different ricotta depending on what you have in your area, you might need to add both more flour or bread crumbs to reach the correct consistency. You can also add extra Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Do a test with one gnudo first to see if you have a dumpling that will be light, yet stay together while it cooks. You don’t want the gnudi to dissolve in the water! Make sure to simmer the water rather than boil it vigorously. Boiling is too much for these delicate lovelies.

The sauce

For this recipe, I suggest a butter and sage sauce as that is how I tried it in Tuscany. However, I think it would also be lovely with a light tomato sauce. In my recipe below, I did not include a specific amount for the butter because you can just add butter to taste. I usually use as little as I can, stretching the sauce out with pasta water. If you’re not watching your waistline, add as much butter as you wish! Note that a brown butter sauce is, from what I can see, more of a French thing. I won’t say that it’s never done in Italy but I’ve never had one served to me in any region. A simple melted butter sauce is certainly easier and less fussy.

If you are traveling to Italy and like to find lesser-known dishes such as this one, please take a look at my article with dining out and eating in Italy tips. You can find your own treasures!

Happy cooking. I hope you enjoy this leek gnudi recipe.

Leek Gnudi (Gnudi di Porri)

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Serves: 6

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

• For the gnudi:
• 25 grams (1 oz) unsalted butter
• 200 grams (7 oz/2 cups) leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and chopped
• 350 grams (12 oz) ricotta cheese, preferably fresh (see note), drained
• 50 grams (2 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
• fresh nutmeg, to taste
• 2 eggs
• 21 grams (about 1/4 cup) bread crumbs, or more as necessary
• 2 tablespoons 00 flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, or more as necessary
• 1 cup of extra flour for coating the gnudi
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• For the sauce:
• unsalted butter, to taste
• fresh sage leaves, to taste

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Next, add the leeks with a good pinch of salt and cook slowly, stirring from time to time until completely tender, about 8-10 minutes. (They should not brown at all, lower the heat if necessary.) Turn off the heat and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cooled leeks, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fresh nutmeg, eggs, and bread crumbs then taste for seasoning. Lastly, add the flour.
3. Place the extra cup of flour in a shallow dish such a pie pan and have a fork nearby. Using two spoons to help you, create walnut-sized pieces grabbing each piece with one spoon and using the other to slide it into the flour. With your fork, cover each piece with the flour, then roll each one in your hands to create a round, even ball. Shake off any excess flour. (Using the spoons and fork will keep your hands cleaner and make the process easier.) Continue until you have made all of your gnudi. The recipe should yield about 38-40 gnudi.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, then reduce to a simmer.
5. Melt the butter over low heat in a large skillet and throw in the sage leaves. Do not let the butter brown. Add some of the boiling water as necessary to create a creamy butter sauce. Turn off the heat and taste for salt.
6. Delicately place the gnudi in the simmering water and gently stir once or twice to make sure they are not sticking. Wait until they float, which should take 1-2 minutes. After they float, leave them in the water another 30 seconds to a minute until cooked through. Turn the heat on low under your butter sauce. Gently scoop the gnudi into the butter sauce and lightly shake the pan to coat them in the butter. Turn off the heat and serve immediately with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top.

Notes

If you can find it, seek out sheep's milk ricotta. If you don't have access to it, you may add a touch of goat cheese to cow's milk ricotta to add a little tang and extra flavor. As you shape your gnudi, cook a tester gnudo first to make sure that you don't need to add more flour or bread crumbs. It will depend on the ricotta you use. As you do your test, take note of how long it took to fully cook the dumpling after it floats to the top.