By Alison Rose Munn
On a recent trip to Europe I made a delectable discovery after experiencing a dreadful letdown. I sat down at a restaurant in Budapest planning to order my one my go-to GF dishes, risotto, to discover theirs is not prepared gluten free. I was so hungry I didn’t want to bother looking for another restaurant so I scoured the menu for something – anything – that I could eat. I decided on a different pasta dish that was listed as gluten free – one I had never heard of which surprised me as I thought I knew all the gluten free pastas there are. The pasta was called gnudi. I figured I would try it and in just one bite was grateful I had not been able to order the risotto! The dish was heavenly. Light, fluffy, cheesy. Basically, it’s a “naked ravioli” made of ricotta cheese. It paired perfectly with the local Hungarian Cab Franc I had become obsessed with and I could have sat there all day savoring the meal.
Upon returning to the States I did a bit of research and found the pasta is not commonly served here. Nor is it easy to find in stores. So I decided to try my hand at making gnudi. The pasta turned out to be quite simple to make and to uses only a handful of ingredients. (The one thing to keep in mind is that the pasta can take up to two hours to prepare as it needs time to sit.) I also found that I could put almost any pasta sauce or toppings on it. Since spinach is in great abundance this time of year I chose to make a creamy spinach sauce to drench it in then topped it off with goat cheese. I think I know what I’m making for my next dinner party.
Ingredients
GNUDI
- ¾ lb ricotta
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ tsp tarragon, cut or crushed to a fine dust
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- pinch of pepper
- 3-4 tbsp rice flour
- (for dredging: another 3-4 tbsp rice flour)
Directions
1. Dry the ricotta. Place on a few paper towels in a colander and allow to drain for an hour. The drier it is, the easier it will be to work with.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes to allow the moisture to be absorbed and the dough to become stiffer.
3. Roll the dough into small oblong shapes and roll in the dredging flour. Use enough to avoid any stickiness. Place pasta on a sheet of parchment paper. Again, let the dough sit for 30 minutes to allow the flour to soak up more moisture.
4. Bring a pot of water to a simmer – do not boil! Simmer the gnudi for apx. 2 minutes and carefully remove, placing on parchment paper to avoid sticking.
5. Serve immediately with your favorite pasta sauce!
