Gnudi. Maybe you never heard of these fluffy, cheesy gnocchi-relatives. They are Tuscan dumplings made of ricotta, originally the sheep one. The best known version also uses spinach in the dough, an after cooking they are turned in butter with sage. There are more than enough classical gnudi recipes online, but… I attempted something new today and must share it, as I very much enjoyed the result!

It is now bear garlic season in North Croatia and I for one love this garliccy herb. I have a reliable seller on the farmer’s markwt near to me, as bear garlic can be confused with the poisonous leaves of lily of the valley. And I buy it in bunches, as the season only lasts a few weeks. One can of course dry it, but the fresh version is incomparable. So, sitting on too much bear garlic, and a ricotta package about to expire, I decided to use bear garlic instead of spinach. To keep the spring theme, I also decided to replace sage in butter with spring garlic in butter. The result was so tasty, and so… Springy 😁

Suitable for: This is vegetarian and halal, but not vegan nor kosher. My gnudi contain glutene, lactose and egg, but don’t contain nuts, shellfish nor soy.

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⌚ Ca. 1 h 15 min plus overnight waiting

Ingredients (for 2 servings) 🛒

400 g ricotta, 2 handful of finely chopped fresh bear garlic, 2 spring onions, 3 tbsp butter, 1tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg, 1 egg (L), ca. 100 g flour, ca. 100 g grated cheese (parmesan or similar), ca. 2 L water

How to 🍳

Put ricotta on a colander, cover, and leave overnight to drain the liquid. Throw away the liquid.

Fry bear garlic in olive oil, ca. 5 min, long enough to make sure all superfluous water evaporates, but take care not to brown it.

In a bowl, combine ricotta, fried bear garlic, egg, 3 tbsp flour, salt (1/2 tsp), pepper, nutmeg and 50 g grated cheese.

Take small, walnut-sized pieces, roll into egg shape, and sprinkle with flour (or, easier, roll on a floured surface). Cover the gnudi with a cloth and leave to rest for 30 min.

Bring water to a boil. Add some salt Gently slide the gnudi, one by one, into boiling water.

Heat butter in a pan, fry finely chopped spring onions in it. Transfer the gnudi, againone by one, into the pan when they float in the water. Fry a few min. Finally, add a few tbsp of cooking water, stir gently, let water evaporate. Serve hot with grated cheese.