There is no joy like Gnudi. These little cheese-filled, light, pillowy dumplings make me smile every time. And consider this Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi post as me formally stepping into the classic recipe, and hoping no Italian nonnas come for me along the way!
What I like about gnudi compared to other pastas and dumplings is that it is relatively easy to make, you won’t end up with a counter covered in flour, and the result is pretty consistent. If you’re looking for a recipe to dive into pasta making, gnudi is a great first recipe to try! Plus, there’s no fancy equipment required. If you have one bowl and one baking sheet, you’re well on your way to making gnudi.
Table of contents
What is gnudi?
Gnudi is the Tuscan word for “naked,” meaning this pasta is quite truly designed to be…well…nude! What it really means is that gnudi takes all the filling from traditional stuffed shells, but there is no “shell” to be found. So even though gnudi do boil and set into firm dumplings, they still are relatively naked by Tuscan standards.
In terms of taste, gnudi is most similar to gnocchi, but it is a lighter, fluffier dumpling with a much cheesier quality. Where gnocchi can tend to be dense due to their potato flour, traditional gnudi relies on semolina flour and cheese, making it a much lighter, softer dumpling. Gnudi also tend to be on the bigger side of most dumplings, so that contributes to their delicate texture as well.
And while traditional gnudi recipes call for only semolina flour, I opt to use all-purpose flour here. In my time making gnudi, I’ve found it helps them hold together much better.
Ingredients you will need for this spinach and ricotta gnudi
I wrote this recipe with both the gnudi in mind, but also a Calabrian butter sauce that I think pairs with the dumplings perfectly. Here are the ingredients you will need for both:
For the Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi
- 12 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 9 ounces spinach
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, 1 ounce/28 grams
- 1/3 cup dried bread crumbs, .75 ounces/21 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for boiling the gnudi
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2.5 ounces/70 grams
- 1/4 cup semolina flour, 1.25 ounces/35 grams, for dusting and rolling
For the Calabrian Butter Sauce
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, 2 ounces/57 grams
- 2 tablespoons chopped Calabrian chilies, See Note
Tips and tricks on how to portion and roll out your gnudi
Once your gnudi dough is done (see the recipe box below for more info), you’re now onto the part where things get specific. Rolling out gnudi is like rolling out cookie dough, so much so that I recommend using a cookie scoop to do it!
I like to use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop (this is the best cookie scoop on the market, by the way), and then scoop them onto a baking sheet that is lightly covered with semolina flour. This prevents any sticking.
Once they are all scooped out, I then dust them with a bit more semolina flour and roll them into balls with my hands. Doing this on a baking sheet prevents any mess, and then they are already where you’ll want to store them!
The best way to boil gnudi
Before you boil gnudi, you have to let it rest. The longer gnudi rests in the fridge, the more of a “shell” it will have when it is finally boiled. You want this, because puncturing a pasta-like shell and getting all that melty cheese on the inside? It’s something magical.
I recommend letting gnudi rest between 1-12 hours, with 5-6 hours being my sweet spot.
To boil gnudi, I like to do a “test” dumpling first. Just boil one until it floats, then while it’s floating, let it boil another minute to set. Transfer it to a lightly floured dish towel over a baking sheet. If this gnudi doesn’t fall apart (there’s a high likelihood it won’t, but it’s always good to test!), then you can add the rest of the gnudi to the pot.
If your test gnudi does fall apart, dust all your gnudi with a heavy dusting of semolina flour. Roll them into balls again, as tight as you can, and let them chill in the fridge for another hour, but ideally 4 more hours so that they are fully set.
How to prep this recipe ahead of time
This is a great recipe for entertaining because the gnudi cook quickly, and both cooked and uncooked gnudi can be prepped and stored ahead of time!
For uncooked gnudi: If you want to prepare this recipe the day before, make all your gnudi as you would normally. Cover the baking sheet your uncooked gnudi rest on with plastic wrap, making sure to wrap it tightly. The gnudi will keep for up to 24-48 hours, so when you are finally ready to cook, you can unwrap them and go!
For cooked gnudi: You can also do this recipe all the way up to the boiling step, and then reheat the spinach and ricotta gnudi on site. Cook your gnudi according to the recipe instructions, let it cool to room temperature, then wrap the baking sheet the cooked gnudi are on tightly with plastic wrap. Store this in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to reheat them, my suggestion is to bring whatever sauce you’re using to a low simmer in a shallow sauté pan. Add the gnudi and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring them in the sauce, let the gnudi gently warm up for 10-12 minutes. Test one gnudi by cutting it open, if the cheese is melty, you’re ready to go!
FAQ
I cover this in the boiling section above, but the best thing to do is to first give your gnudi more resting time in the fridge. Odds are your gnudi either didn’t have enough flour, or they didn’t fully set during the resting period. To help ease both factors, I suggest dusting the rolled gnudi with even more semolina flour, rolling them up tightly again, and letting them rest again in the fridge for as long as possible before you try again!
Gnudi is easy, but exact measurements will always help you get the best result! Cups can vary, since they are a volume measurement, so sometimes one cup of flour can be 140 grams, other times it can be 160 grams, etc. I’ve tried a few not-so-great gnudi recipes on my path to making gnudi, and the similarity between them all is they didn’t use exact measurements, which left me with gnudi that either fell apart or was too gummy. By using grams and ounces, I want to make sure you have all the tools you need to be accurate and successful with this gnudi recipe!
I like to store my gnudi in an airtight container, such as tupperware. It will keep for up to 5 days, and is quite delicious leftover!
If your gnudi is fully sauced, you can either microwave it on medium heat for 2-3 minutes to gently warm it up, or you can add the stored gnudi to a pan over medium heat and let it warm up for 6-7 minutes.
If you haven’t added sauce yet, my suggestion is to bring whatever sauce you’re using to a low simmer in a shallow sauté pan. Add the gnudi and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring them in the sauce, let the gnudi gently warm up for 10-12 minutes. Test one gnudi by cutting it open, if the cheese is melty, you’re ready to go!
This gnudi is so rich that I recommend sauces with a bit of heat to them, like a spicy tomato sauce. However, if you like rich, buttery pastas, a standard pesto, or a brown butter sage sauce are also lovely with this!
Looking for other pasta recipes to try?
Here are a few, some with homemade noodles, and others with just very, very good sauces!
And that’s it for this Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi
Equipment
- 1 heat-proof bowl
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 3-tablespoon sized cookie scoop
- 1 large stock pot
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 9 ounces spinach
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan 1 ounce/28 grams
- 1/3 cup dried bread crumbs .75 ounces/21 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more for boiling the gnudi
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2.5 ounces/70 grams
- 1/4 cup semolina flour 1.25 ounces/35 grams, for dusting and rolling
For the Calabrian Butter Sauce
- 6 tablespoons salted butter 3 ounces/85 grams
- 2 tablespoons chopped Calabrian chilies See Note
Instructions
- Add the 12 ounces of ricotta to a fine mesh sieve. Suspend it over your sink (or a bowl) and let it it drain. I am supremely lazy and only do this for 15 minutes, but if your ricotta has a particularly high amount of water content (you'll have water pooling at the top or see a significant amount of moisture in the curds), then you'll have to drain for up to 2 hours. You want your ricotta to be firm and holding its shape in a half "ball" after it leaves the sieve.
- Add the 9 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, or until it is shrunken in size by half. 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.
- Add the spinach and ricotta to a large mixing bowl. Crack in the egg, add in 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/3 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and mix.
- Add the 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour to the bowl in two batches. Gently mix until combined. Don't mix too much, that might cause your gnudi to get tough.
- Dust a quarter sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of semolina flour. Use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough into 20 gnudi. Set them on top of the floured sheet pan and dust them with another 2 tablespoons of semolina flour.
- Use your hands to roll the gnudi into balls, dusting with more semolina flour as needed. Set them in the fridge to chill for 1 hour minimum, but up cover them and they can chill in the fridge for up to 12. 5-6 hours is my sweet spot, since the longer they chill the more of a pasta "shell" they will have after boiling.
- When you are ready to cook, set a large pot of water over high heat and bring it to a rolling boil. Salt the water with a heaping tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- If this is your first time making gnudi, test one dumpling first. Gently place it in the boiling water and wait until it floats to the top, typically in 4 minutes. After it has begun to float, let it boil an additional minute to set. Transfer it to a lightly floured dish towel or to a paper towel.
- Now you can boil all the rest of your gnudi. Repeat the same method, waiting for them to float to the top, then letting them boil one more minute to set. They are tender when they first come out of the water, but they firm up as the rest on the floured dish towel.
- Once your gnudi are finished, leave the pot of salted water on the stove but turn off the heat. Place a large sauté pan on the burner next to it and begin the Calabrian butter sauce.
- Set the pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of salted butter and 2 tablespoons of chopped Calabrian chilies. Let the butter melt, but don't let it brown. Add a 1/4 cup of pasta water from the large stock pot. Swirl this all together as the base of the sauce.
- Continue to add the butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each tablespoon to melt into the sauce. After you have added 4 tablespoons total, add another splash of pasta water. As the sauce simmers, this water will help the sauce thicken into a smooth, spicy sauce. Add the remaining butter, continuing with the same method. If you find the sauce ever needs to be a bit more viscous, add a slash of pasta water.
- Remove the heat from the sauté pan and add the gnudi. Give them a few mixes to coat them in the sauce. Then serve!
Really excited to try these! How would you replace the egg?
Hmmm, I’d need to do another test for that one! I’ve never done Gnudi egg-less, but my first suggestion would be to use flax egg and then increase the all purpose flour by two tablespoons! If you try it, please report back. If I get to it before you, I’ll be sure to share an update!
Hi, I made the gnudi for a party and they were a hit. Did not use egg, did not alter the rest of the recipe either and they were perfect. Do test try boiling one gnudi first, and add more flour only if needed. Also, boiled and made a day earlier and lowered them in simmering sauce a just before serving….got lots of compliments. Thanks Justine.
Oh wow these look sooooo tasty!!
Sooooo I need to say a few things:
1. Your recipe development + flavour combinations are supremely inspiring to me. Every single dish you share absolutely SLAPS.
2. I am the QUEEN of hitting the “jump to recipe” button on every food blog — but yours is the only one I actually read through fully. Yes, you’re a culinary genius, but you’re also a very strong story-teller and an engaging writer. It’s honestly a pleasure reading through your posts in their entirety — plus I literally learn SO much from you. So many nuggets of wisdom!
3. This is absolutely the dish I’ll be making next time I come home from my local Italian grocer with fresh ricotta. I CANNOT WAIT.
Thank you for everything you are!
Thank YOU for everything you are!! This comment absolutely made my day, especially since I still really enjoy writing parts of the blog! The fact that I know someone is reading it makes my day <3
What would your serve these with ? Pasta ? Rice ?
These technically are in the dumpling family so I personally would serve them with a protein! I like them alongside a simple lemon olive oil fish and summer salad. In Italy they uses these as a starter to the meal, so you could also see them as an appetizer!
This was my first time trying one of your recipes and it was absolutely perfect and super easy! Thank you!
So SO happy you liked it! I hope you’ll find others you like as well, and of course feel free to peruse whenever!
Could I replace all the semolina flour with all purpose flour? Ie for the dusting etc as well not just the dough? Thanks!
Hi! You can absolutely replace the semolina with all-purpose, just note that the coating might be a bit gummier after boiling than if you were to use semolina. However, the gnudi should still hold!
Gnudi! Where have you been all my life?! You are so delicious,and much less messier to make than gnocchi! (no sticky potato starch on my bench top)
Thanks so much for the recipe Justine- it worked out perfectly 🙂 Yum!
So SO thrilled you liked it!
Is adding protein to the gnudi a good idea? Perhaps ground Italian sausage? I’m wondering if the fat would interfere…
I’d suggest serving a protein on the side! Any dumpling is a little finicky, so I’m not sure how well the gnudi would hold together with an added protein!
Do you need the semolina flour really
You can opt for all-purpose flour for the dusting, just note it will make the coating a bit gummier. I always write my recipes to give you the best possible result, so while the semolina flour can be side-stepped, I recommend it for the people who have access to it!
This slapped! Minor mistake: went on autopilot and didn’t chop the spinach but it STILL turned out great. It’s such a cliche to comment that you made a recipe with a completely diff ingredient and it turned out well but my husband couldn’t find Calabrian chilis so he bought a mild harissa and it was fab. Can’t wait to try again with chopped spinach and actual Calabrians!
Ooooo anything spicy will still make the sauce BOMB. I’m so thrilled you liked it! And can’t wait for you to make it again!
Could you use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Absolutely! Just make sure it’s fully drained, and use the same amount by weight.
Excellent! I used pasta flour instead of semolina, worked great, and added shelled peas in to replace some of the spinach. After watching a lot of your videos, this is the first of your recipes I’ve made, and I was very pleased! Thanks for all your great work.
So so happy you liked it! And honored this is the first one you made!
How could I make this gluten free without making it gummy?
Hi there! I haven’t personally tested it with gluten free flours, but almond flour is well-known for not getting gummy, however I fear it might weight the dough down here. If anyone else has made a gluten-free version, please let us know!
Beautiful ❤️
So glad you liked it <3
Can’t wait to try this! Could I substitute cornmeal for the semolina flour?
I feel like that’s your best bet for a substitute, but note that the finer the grind, the better!
Delicious! Everyone loved them!
Do you know if they freeze with any success? Would love to pull these out for a super quick midweek meal (without the planning of prepping them two days in advance).
Hello! I haven’t personally frozen them myself, but I see no issue with keeping them on the baking sheet, covering it with cling wrap and then freezing them. You could also freeze them in a ziploc bag, I think the key thing is just to make sure they can lay flat in the freezer so they don’t stick together. Hope this helps!
Ummmm yes. This recipe changed my life it was SO good. I froze the extra gnudi and let it thaw in the fridge to defrost. I ended up not getting around it to eating after like 2 days and it was still super fresh tasting – prob not ideal but it worked 🙂
Good intel that it worked! I’m glad you enjoyed!!