Easy Italian Gnudi Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between gnocchi and gnudi? ›

Gnudi are soft, creamy Italian pillows of ricotta and Parmesan cheese—they are similar to gnocchi but are made with little or no flour. The word gnudi means "naked"—that makes sense because they are like cheese ravioli without the pasta covering.

Gnudi is the Tuscan word for "naked" (in standard Italian nudi), the idea being that these "pillowy" balls of ricotta and spinach (sometimes without spinach, which is also known as ricotta gnocchi) are "nude ravioli", consisting of just the tasty filling without the pasta shell.

Be cautious while cooking because gnudi can fall apart if there is not enough flour or semolina added. I usually make sure to test one rolled out ball before rolling the rest. Test just incase you need to add more ap flour or semolina. The amount of flour or semolina needed cannot be determined exactly.

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

The “g” is silent in both words; thus, gnocchi is pronounced “nyoh-kee,” while gnudi is pronounced “nyoo-dee” or simply “noo-dee.”

Make-Ahead: While they are best eaten immediately, you can make these up to 1 day ahead of time. Simply reheat right before serving. How to Reheat: Place them in a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. You can also cook on a microwave-safe plate until hot.

Once gnudi have formed a skin, they can be frozen.

Goomah — Mistress or girlfriend. It comes from the Italian comare, which means godmother or second mother. In other words, someone who takes care of you. Goomba — Compatriot or fellow comrade.

My Gnocchi Are Falling Apart When I Cook Them

This means there isn't enough flour and your dough is too wet. Try adding another 1/4 cup of flour and try again. A good idea is to have a pot of water on the go before you roll out and shape your gnocchi.

How do I make my gnocchi firmer? ›

How to make a firmer Gnocchi. Boil the potatoes with the peel on, that way the potato absorbs less water. Peel the potato and place through a potato ricer immediately, because the cooler they get the stickier they become. An easy way to peel the potato is stick a fork through and peel it using a knife.

Your gnocchi may be mushy because of any or all of the following reasons: boiled the potatoes instead of baked them. used waxy new potatoes with too much moisture in them. not used eggs to help texture.

When cool enough to handle, scrape off the skins and push the potato through a ricer or food mill, then, while still warm, start working your dough on a floured work surface. (Here, Davies offers up another tip to fight the mush: “Spread out the mash to cool; the escaping steam will further take away any moisture.”)

Add just enough flour to hold the dough together, and don't overmix. The culprit in tough gnocchi is usually one of two things (or both): too much flour in the dough or too much kneading.

While gnocchi are a traditional Italian pasta shape, what makes them distinct is that they use potatoes as the main ingredient. Therefore, they're commonly considered to be a dumpling.

Different varieties of gnocchi use different ingredients, such as ricotta cheese, cornmeal, semolina, spinach and more. Most are formed into little rounds or squares and given ridges to help capture sauces.

Potato Gnocchi Substitutes:Pasta: If you're making a pasta dish, you can substitute gnocchi with various pasta shapes, such as penne, rigatoni, or farfalle. These will provide a similar starchy texture.