GNUDI BRUTTO
No, my Gnudi Brutto won’t win any beauty contests, but, what it doesn’t win in looks will win in taste. Made with ricotta and Pecorino Romano cheeses, my take on this close-relative to gnocchi is tender and light but also deeply hearty and satisfying. More often than not, I make an over-sized dumpling, rather than the proverbial piccoli morsi, and serve it with a salad of mixed greens, tossed in lemony vinaigrette, for a simple Sunday supper. Too ugly to appear ‘naked’ in public, however, I sheathe my gnudi in a rich tomato sauce (using double concentrate) and accessorize it with coarse black pepper, crushed red pepper and more Pecorino Romano.
PREP/COOK TIME: About One Hour
Makes 2 Servings
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup – Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
½ Cup – Pecorino Romano Cheese, Grated
½ Cup – All Purpose Flour, Plus ¼ Cup To Coat
1 Large Egg
½ Tsp – Kosher Salt
THE NITTY GRITTY
In a large bowl, add ricotta, pecorino, flour and salt. Beat egg into mixture and combine using the back of a wooden spoon, or fork.
SHAPING THE GNUDI – For small dumplings, scoop about a tablespoon of dough; forming a quenelle (egg-like shape). For over-sized dumplings, divide dough in half with a scraper, or butter-knife; using a large serving spoon, form two sizable quenelles.
Dredge shaped gnudi in flour and let set on a tray, or baking sheet, with parchment, or wax paper, uncovered, for about a half-hour to an hour in a cool, dry spot to form skin.
COOKING THE GNUDI – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil at high heat. Carefully add gnudi to water. For small dumplings, cook about a minute before stirring only once; gnudi will rise to the top about after 8 – 10 minutes of cooking. For over-sized dumplings, let gnudi cook for 18 – 20 minutes; gently turn over and let cook for another 5 - 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove gnudi from water immediately and plate.
SAUCES – For over-sized dumplings, I keep the sauce simple:
Tomato – 2 Tbs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 2 Cloves of Garlic, Halved, heated in a medium saucepan at high. I remove the garlic once fragrant and golden; add 3 Tbs of Double Concentrate Tomato Paste (cook for about a minute, to get the rawness out); finish with 1 ½ Cups of Water, or Chicken Broth, simmer to reduce, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Of course, I’m not one to hate on store-bought sauce either. Tomato Basil is absolutely brilliant. In a pinch, I sometimes even serve with just chicken broth and garnish with lots of grated Pecorino Romano, coarse black pepper and sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley. For small dumplings, I tend to go for the richer sauces.
Brown Butter and Sage – ¼ Cup (4 Tbs) of Unsalted Butter and about 7 – 8 Small Sage Leaves heated in a large skillet, or non-stick pan, at medium high; cooked until butter is aromatic and nutty in color. When I make this sauce, I’ll reduce the cooking time for the gnudi by a minute and transfer it to the pan to finish and garnish with grated Pecorino Romano. I’ve even used these small dumplings in my recipe, Gnocchi Stonato.
NOVEMBER 11, 2018
