Lemon Ricotta Spinach Gnudi

Posted on by llbalanced
Lemon Ricotta Spinach Gnudi
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    [ID] => 8353
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    [post_date] => 2018-03-23 07:02:46
    [post_date_gmt] => 2018-03-23 13:02:46
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    [post_title] => Lemon Ricotta Spinach Gnudi
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    [post_name] => lemon-ricotta-spinach-gnudi
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    [post_modified] => 2018-03-23 14:52:35
    [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-03-23 20:52:35
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03.23

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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TOTAL TIME :40minutes20minutes10minutes
13 gnudi
INGREDIENTS
  • 5 cups frozen organic spinach, thawed (a little less than 1 16 oz bag. I place the bag in the fridge the night before)
  • 2 large room temperature eggs
  • 2-4 tablespoons coconut flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1/2-3/4 teaspoon sea salt (I use 3/4)
  • pinch black pepper
  • 3/4 cup full-fat ricotta cheese (approx. 8 oz. I like organic valley from pastured cows)
  • 1 packed teaspoon lemon zest (approximately 1 medium lemon)
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (optional but recommended!)
DIRECTIONS
  1. Line an 8x8 pyrex baking dish with non-stick parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place thawed spinach in a colander in the sink and squeeze out excess liquid. You really want the spinach as dry as possible. Add spinach to a large mixing bowl, along with eggs, 2 tablespoons coconut flour, salt, pepper, ricotta, lemon zest and half of your grated parmesan (it doesn’t need to be exact). Use clean hands to combine mixture evenly. *NOTE: 2 tbsp coconut flour will make a slighter looser, more traditional gnudi texture. I personally like to add 2 more tablespoons to make them into firmer balls, but it is totally up to you.
  2. Using dampened fingers or a dampened ice cream scoop, form 2” balls and roll them between your hands to form balls. Place them in your baking dish, trying to leave it a little space between each.
  3. Bake gnudi for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and sprinkle on remaining grated parmesan, as well as melted butter, if using. Bake another 20 minutes, then allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
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