Quick and Easy Gnudi Recipe (Ricotta Gnocchi) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Gnudi and ricotta gnocchi? ›

Gnocchi Parisienne: A softer dumpling containing ricotta or other soft cheese, plus flour, eggs, butter, water, sometimes cheese, sometimes Dijon mustard, sometimes fresh herbs. Gnudi: This is the Italian version of Gnocchi Parisienne, inspired by the filling in a ravioli without the wrapper.

Too much moisture can make the delicate gnudi fall apart, so use a good quality whole-milk ricotta and remove as much moisture as possible.

Ricotta gnocchi may be a better option than potato gnocchi for those looking to gain muscle, since there is a higher protein content in the cheese-based dough.

Gnudi is the Tuscan word for "naked" (in standard Italian nudi), the idea being that these "pillowy" balls of ricotta and spinach (sometimes without spinach, which is also known as ricotta gnocchi) are "nude ravioli", consisting of just the tasty filling without the pasta shell.

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

Not draining the ricotta properly will result in sticky dough that requires extra flour, which will make the gnocchi gummy. It should be thick and dense and almost sliceable when properly drained. Mix the ingredients without flour.

My Gnocchi Are Falling Apart When I Cook Them

This means there isn't enough flour and your dough is too wet. Try adding another 1/4 cup of flour and try again. A good idea is to have a pot of water on the go before you roll out and shape your gnocchi.

Too much flour and gnocchi turns to doughy undercooked lumps. Bottom line is you add enough flour to bring the egg and potato together into a dough and no more.

Italian flour

Plus, it has too much protein: High-protein wheat results in chewy gnocchi. If you want to be true to Italian gnocchi, look for imported Italian flour marked "00 tenero," which is milled from soft wheat with a low protein content.

It is very easy to add too much flour to gnocchi dough, which can make these dumplings glutinous, gummy, and sticky. If you dump all of the flour into your gnocchi dough at once, you won't have the same texture as a gnocchi that has just enough flour to bring it together.

Can I use cream cheese instead of ricotta in gnocchi? ›

Cream cheese: Cream cheese is made with milk and cream, while ricotta is made with just milk. The lower fat content makes the latter cheese slightly less creamy. However, cream cheese can still be substituted for ricotta.

Make-Ahead: While they are best eaten immediately, you can make these up to 1 day ahead of time. Simply reheat right before serving. How to Reheat: Place them in a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. You can also cook on a microwave-safe plate until hot.

Once gnudi have formed a skin, they can be frozen.

peperoncino : the dried, crushed flakes of any of several red hot peppers used especially in Italian cooking. a pinch of peperoncino.

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.

The success of either dumpling often hinges on the savory sauces that accompany it (see gnudi below), and while gnudi can suffer from the same heavy-handedness as gnocchi, it tends to be lighter and fluffier (a common descriptor is "pillowy"), so it's usually a safer bet than its often overworked and overcooked cousin.

My recipe for light and fluffy homemade ricotta gnocchi is made with 6 simple ingredients: ricotta, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and 00 flour. I use fresh homemade ricotta because I'm obsessed with it's creamy texture, and I'm always looking for new ways to use it. However, store-bought ricotta will work too.