Nudies Recipes

Steps:

• Put the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, nutmeg, pepper, egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup of the flour in a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork. Continue to mix until the dough comes together and forms a ball, adding an additional 1/4 cup flour if needed.
• Lightly flour your hands and roll the mixture into quarter-sized balls; there should be 25 to 30 balls. Place the gnudi onto a lightly floured tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, add the oil, capers and sage leaves to a small saute pan. Place over medium heat and fry until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. If the sage leaves become too dark, remove them before the capers. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a low boil.
• Add the butter and sage sprig to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and continue to cook, swirling the pan in a circular motion to prevent the butter from burning, until it starts to turn golden brown and begins to smell nutty. Squeeze the juice from a lemon wedge into the pan to stop the butter from turning too dark and burning.
• Once the water is at a low boil, add the gnudi and cook until they float, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnudi directly into the browned butter. Stir to coat.
• Plate the gnudi onto a serving plate and garnish with the fried sage and capers and additional Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and yolks. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and flour. Form mixture in to small, flattened balls.
• Dredge the formed gnudi in flour to coat, tapping off the excess. Slide formed gnudi into the boiling water. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; work in batches if necessary. Remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon after they float to the top and have cooked for about 4 minutes.
• Arrange gnudi on a platter and lightly drizzle with marinara sauce.

Steps:

• Fit a large pot with a steamer insert. Add enough water to come about 3 inches below bottom of insert, and bring to a simmer. Add spinach, cover, and steam until bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly. Press to remove liquid. Roll spinach in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze to remove any remaining liquid. Transfer to a food processor, and puree until smooth (you should have 1 scant cup).
• Stir together spinach puree, egg yolks, cheeses, 2 tablespoons flour, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Mound 1 cup flour on a cutting board. Using floured hands, gently shape 1 tablespoon spinach mixture into a small log. Drop it into the flour, and quickly roll to coat lightly. Transfer to a baking sheet that's lightly dusted with semolina. Repeat. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to cook (up to overnight).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add half the gnudi, and stir gently to prevent them from sticking together. Cook until gnudi rise to, and remain on, surface, about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining gnudi.
• Meanwhile, warm 4 plates. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chopped sage and the sage leaves. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons gnudi cooking water, reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove gnudi from water shake off excess water, and transfer to plates. Drizzle with sage butter. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add basil and cook uncovered until just wilted, about 1 minute. Immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain. Squeeze very dry and finely chop.
• Mix ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup flour, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, egg yolks, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add basil, white pepper, and salt; mix until gnudi mixture is well-combined.
• Dust your hands with remaining 1/4 cup flour and form gnudi mixture into small balls.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add lemon juice. Boil gnudi in batches until they float to the top of the water, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.

Steps:

• 1. Toss the greens in a sinkful of warm water to clean. Rinse the greens until all grit and sand are removed. Dirty spinach may need more than one change of water. Lift the greens from the water and drain them in a colander. Remove any bruised leaves and thick stems.
• 2. Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in a larger pot. Salt the water, immerse the greens in boiling water, and cook, 3-5 minutes, or longer for some wild greens, until tender. Remove the greens with a slotted spoon, reserving water for poaching the nudies. Place the greens in a colander and run them under cold water to cool. Divide the cooked greens in three parts and squeeze between both hands to form balls and remove all excess water. Squeeze hard!
• 3. Measure 1 1/3 cups of the cooked greens. Untangle the greens after measuring; they'll be easier to process. Roughly chop the greens in a food processor. Add the ricotta, Parmigiano, egg, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and nutmeg and process to form a smooth paste.
• 4. Transfer the paste to a pastry bag with a large tip or a medium-sized plastic bag with a 1/2-inch corner cut off.
• 5. Sift a layer of flour onto a large clean surface and pipe the paste in blobs the size of a walnut, 2 inches apart. Sift another layer of flour over the blobs and delicately roll in the flour. Carefully toss each nudie from hand to hand to remove the excess flour.
• 6. Bring the reserved cooking water to a boil and poach 8-9 nudies at a time, for 2-3 minutes or until they float to the surface of the water. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large baking dish.
• 7. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle the nudies with melted butter, or tomato or meat sauce, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned and cheese has melted and serve.