Gnudi is one of my favorite things to make. These little ricotta-stuffed dumplings are surprisingly easy, and the effort-to-payoff ratio is off the charts. In this version of gnudi, I roast down pumpkin to remove its moisture and really capitalize on its flavor. That mixes into the dumpling dough with a pile of autumnal spices. The entire combination makes this recipe perfect for the season. If you love working with your hands but don’t want to attempt a full-blown pasta recipe, Pumpkin Ricotta Gnudi should be first on your list 🙂
Pumpkin Ricotta Gnudi
Gnudi – little hand-rolled ricotta dumplings – are one of my favorite things to make. They looks like a project, but they are one of the easiest pasta-like dishes to make. Here I am swapping in some roasted pumpkin for a beautiful color, flavor, and seasonal note. I love to pull this dish out of my back pocket as a fall or winter dinner party showstopper.
Equipment
- 2 half sheet pans
- 1 slotted spoon
- paper towels
- 1 large pot
- 1 large sauté pan
Ingredients
For the gnudi:
- 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 8 ounces spinach or another dark leafy green
- 2 large eggs
- 4 ounces freshly grated parmesan about 1 cup, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more for boiling the gnudi
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 105 grams / 3.7 ounces
- 5 tablespoons semolina flour for rolling
For the sage brown butter sauce:
- 8 tablespoons salted butter 113 grams / 4 ounces
- 1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F convection or 325°F standard. Spread the pumpkin on baking sheet and let it dry out until it is the texture of play-doh, stirring every 15 minutes for 30 minutes. While this is happening, drain the ricotta in a mesh sieve for 30 minutes.
- Add 8 ounces of spinach to a large heat-proof bowl and cover it with boiling water. Make sure all the spinach is submerged and let it wilt in the hot water for 1-2 minutes, then transfer it to a bowl of ice water.
- Squeeze all the water out of the spinach (very important!) and transfer it to a cutting board. Chop it up as finely as possible.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped spinach, pumpkin, drained ricotta, 2 eggs, 4 ounces of parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon salt. Add a few cracks of black pepper and mix well.
- In 1/4 cup increments, add the all-purpose flour to the bowl and mix. Gently mix until combined.
- Dust a half sheet pan with 3 tablespoons of semolina flour. Use a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough into 22-24 gnudi. Set them on top of the floured sheet pan and dust them with another 2 tablespoons of semolina flour. Roll the gnudi into balls, coating them in semolina flour.
- Let these rest in the fridge for 5 hours up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to cook them, prepare a large sheet pan with paper towels to the side of your stove. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it liberally. Use a slotted spoon to add 6 gnudi to the water at a time and boil until they float, around 5 minutes. When they are floating, transfer them to the paper towels to rest.
- In a large pan to the side, prepare the brown butter sauce. Put the pan over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of salted butter and fry the sage leaves in batches, 2-3 minutes or until they are a shade darker in color. Transfer the sage leaves out of the pan to a paper towel to drain.
- Reduce the heat on the pan to low. Now, add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter one small cube at a time. Incrementally add 2-tablespoon splashes of the gnudi cooking water . Whisk to create a smooth and emulsified butter sauce. Do this until all the butter is combined.
- Add the gnudi to the butter sauce, letting them gently warm up in it.
- Spoon the gnudi onto serving plates, top with crispy sage and freshly grated parmesan and eat warm!
Do you think that it would be possible to sub the pumpkin for honeynut squash?
Absolutely! Just make sure to roast out all the moisture and you’ll be set 🙂
Could you make a batch and freeze for emergency uplift?
Absolutely – this is one of my all-time favorite things to do. You can then either boil them or roast them for a crispy exterior (a la Trader Joe’s Cauliflower gnocchi)
Can I freeze them? If so, before or after cooking?
Thanks!
I suggest freezing them after cooking if you plan on reheating them in the sauce or in the oven. However if you want to cook them to order, freeze the gnudi before boiling them and then pop them out of the freezer and boil them as you like!
Looks fantastic! Would they work on an appetizer table? Or best to eat immediately after cooking? Thanks!
They should be warm before eating, but for an appetizer I like to keep them in the oven so that they stay evenly warm right before serving – it’s a great hosting hack!
What veg would be a nice side with this?
I love a radicchio salad or charred broccolini!
Do you think this recipe could be vegan-ized? I’m thinking Kite Hill’s vegan ricotta
I haven’t used that ricotta personally, but if it’s creamy and can hold together after draining, I don’t see why it won’t work!
What do you think about serving warm without the sauce as a fall appetizer?
I’d definitely suggest a sauce of some kind, but I love serving these as an app! Just pop them in the oven to keep them all warm and at the same temp 🙂
Are there any other sauces that work well with these?
The Calabrian butter sauce from this recipe works well: https://justinesnacks.com/spinach-ricotta-gnudi/, or any pesto is a great option!
Thoughts on making this gluten free?
I’ve personally never tried it, but my favorite GF flour is King Arthur 1:1 blend, and since this is a lot of cheese first, I think that could be a good fit here!