Spinach Ricotta Gnudi (Italian Tuscany Gnudi con Ricotta E Spinaci)

Chef Michael Bonacini cooks up a Tuscan take on Italy's quintessential gnocchi - Spinach Ricotta Gnudi. Made with ricotta and blanched spinach, these gnudi resemble ravioli fillings without the pasta wrapper.

5 cups baby spinach leaves (1.2 L)
2 cups ricotta cheese (470 mL)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided (240 mL)
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
½ tsp. sea salt (2.5 mL)
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked (1.25 mL)
½ tsp. ground nutmeg (2.5 mL)
1 lemon, freshly zested
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached, unbleached (75 mL)
⅓ cup semolina flour (80 mL)
½ cup butter (120 mL)
6 sage leaves

Blanch spinach. Drain and let cool. With your hands, squeeze the spinach to remove excess water. Once it is very dry, chop it up finely. Add chopped spinach to a bowl.

Drain ricotta and add it to the bowl with the spinach. Add ⅔ cup (160 mL) Parmesan, egg yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon zest, and stir to combine. Sift in flour and stir in.

Put the semolina flour into a second bowl. Roll 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) of the mixture into a ball and coat in semolina. Place on parchment paper. Repeat until all the mixture has been used up.

Bring a pot of salted water to boiling. Add balls a few at a time and cook until they float to the surface, about 3-5 minutes.

Melt butter in a pan over low heat and cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Add sage and turn off the heat.

Use brown butter and sage mixture to top cooked gnudi. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Makes 4 servings.