Gnudi are light and pillowy Italian dumplings made with ricotta cheese. This recipe for Spring Gnudi with Beurre Blanc celebrates the flavours of the season with fresh asparagus and peas. A rich and creamy beurre blanc made with Narrative Chenin Blanc ties the whole dish together.
Narrative Wines celebrate stories and a brand we’re proud to a call a sister. Available alongside Haywire wines online at okanagancrushpad.com
Serving: 24 gnudi
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 5 minutes | Resting Time: 1 hour |
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Recipe and Images by: Melissa Leung – Season and Serve Blog
Ingredients:
For the Gnudi:
- 500 grams ricotta cheese, drained (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- Water, for boiling
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Vegetables:
- Water, for boiling
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup peas
For the Beurre Blanc:
- ¼ cup Narrative Chenin Blanc
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 shallot (~3 tablespoons), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (35%)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 2-cm cubes, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup chives, finely chopped, for garnish
Directions:
To Make the Gnudi:
- Begin by making the gnudi. Add the drained ricotta cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and egg in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the flour to the bowl and mix to combine. The mixture should be stiff and hold together easily.
- Dust a large plate with ¼ cup of flour and dust your hands with flour to avoid the gnudi from sticking.
- Scoop one heaping tablespoon of the gnudi filling and roll it into a ball between the palms of your hands. The gnudi should be slightly smaller than the size of a golf ball. Continue rolling the gnudi and flouring your hands as needed.
- Once all the gnudi are formed, lightly sprinkle the top of the gnudi with another ¼ cup of flour. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour.
To Make the Vegetables:
- Next prepare the vegetables. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt and trimmed asparagus. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and tender. Just before the asparagus is done, add the peas and blanch for 30 seconds.
- Drain the vegetables and rinse under cold water. Drain and set aside.
To Make the Beurre Blanc:
- Prepare the beurre blanc right before you want to serve this dish.
- Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the wine, white wine vinegar and shallots to the pan. Mix to combine, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until there is 2 tablespoons of liquid left in the pan.
- Keep the heat over medium. Add the cream to the pan and whisk to combine. Next, add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking vigorously until the butter is fully melted into the sauce before adding another cube.
- Once all the butter has been incorporated, reduce the heat to low and add the salt and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
- Strain the beurre blanc through a strainer to remove the shallots. Return the beurre blanc to the pan and keep warm over very low heat.
To Assemble Final Dish:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and the gnudi. Reduce the heat medium and gently boil the gnudi for 2-3 minutes, or until the gnudi float to the top. Once the gnudi float, cook for an additional minute, then drain.
- To assemble, place the asparagus and peas in the bottom of a bowl and top with 6-8 gnudi per person. Spoon 2 tablespoons of beurre blanc over the gnudi and vegetables and garnish with the chives.
- Serve immediately with a glass of chilled Narrative Chenin Blanc and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Drain the ricotta cheese in a strainer overnight, or squeeze between a piece of cheesecloth to remove the liquid. You want the ricotta cheese to be on the dry side, so the gnudi are fluffy.
- If the beurre blanc splits, add 1 tablespoon of ice-cold water to a mixing bowl then slowly pour the split beurre blanc into the bowl, whisking vigorously. The beurre blanc should come back together into a smooth sauce. Serve immediately.
