Lemon Ricotta Spinach Gnudi |

Besides having one of the best culinary names EVER, the gnudi that my momma and I made while recently in Florence was absolutely mind-blowingly delicious.
What IS gnudi, you ask? Hailing from Northern Italy, gnudi is the lighter, fluffier cousin to gnocchi. Both are "dumpling"-shaped, but gnocchi has a chewy, firm texture from starchy potatoes as the main ingredient. Gnudi, on the other hand, is made primarily from ricotta cheese, which results in a melt-in-your-mouth tender little nugget. It's essentially ravioli, without the pasta shell. Both are fabulous, but I was especially taken by the novelty of gnudi, having never experienced it before!
The other thing I ADORED about my first gnudi interaction?! Realizing how dang simple it is to make! I mean, it's sheer magic that such a flavorful dish and versatile can result from a handful of accessible ingredients.
So, obviously, I had to create an LL Balanced version for y'all, my baes.
The main differences between the classic Florentine creation and mine are 1) I use thawed-from-frozen spinach, instead of cooked fresh spinach...for time-saving. 2) Coconut flour instead of semolina flour...for my gluten-free friends, and because it's a great binder 3) I skip the step of boiling the gnudi before baking...cause to my plebian tastebuds, they're just as amazing without the extra work.
During our Florentine cooking class, my mom and I learned that gnudi is traditionally made with nutmeg instead of lemon as the main flavor component, but we used lemon in our version that day, and I was hooked. However, if you're not digging the lemon vibe, feel free to try nutmeg...I'd love to hear your thoughts!
When I first began testing this for y'all, I called my mom to confirm I wasn't missing any ingredients; it's just that easy! But I wasn't, and you won't be either. With just the short list included in this recipe and less than an hour of your day, you can have this low-carb, real-food, scrumptious side or appetizer all to yourself!
If you give these Lemon Ricotta Spinach Gnudi a try, please tag me on Instagram @lauraleabalanced #llbalanced, so I can see your creations!
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