Ravioli Nudi

From the blog For Love of the Table

12 oz. (trimmed weight) Swiss Chard or Beet Greens, or 16 oz. (trimmed weight) spinach (see notes)

8 oz. (a scant cup) well-drained whole milk ricotta (see notes)

1 oz. finely grated Parmesan

3/4 t. kosher salt (or to taste)

1/8 t. nutmeg (or less...to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large egg yolks (see notes)

2 to 4 T. (15 to 30 g.) all-purpose flour (see notes), plus more for forming

Olive oil

Grated Parmesan

Prepare the greens: Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the greens and simmer until very tender—depending on the green you are using this will take 5 minutes or so. Scoop the greens out of the water and place them in a colander to allow most of the excess water to drain. Spread the drained greens on a baking sheet and allow them to cool. When cool, pick up small handfuls of the greens and squeeze out most of the water. Spread the handfuls of greens in a kitchen towel and twist/squeeze the towel to remove as much of the remaining liquid as you are able. (The towel will be stained green—possibly red, if using red chard—by this operation. The color will come out with a rinse under cold water and a good wash...but just in case, don't use a good kitchen towel...a flour sack towel is perfect.) The more liquid you are able to squeeze out, the lighter your gnudi will be. Scrape the dry greens off of the towel and onto a cutting board and mince finely. Set aside (refrigerating for longer storage) until ready to use.

Make the dough: Place the drained ricotta in a bowl and beat with rubber spatula to smooth it out. Add the greens, Parmesan and seasonings and beat until well combined. Beat in the yolks. Add 2 T. of the flour and stir just until the flour is absorbed. If the dough is too soft to form a soft ball that can be handled gently with floured fingers, add another tablespoon or so of flour. The less flour you add, the lighter your gnudi will be.

Test the dough: Bring a pan of salted water to a bare simmer. Form, flour and add one gnudi. If it falls apart in the water, add a tablespoon or so of the reserved egg white to the dough and test again.

Form the gnudi: You may form the gnudi in any number of ways. Some people pipe them in strips on a floured board and cut them into short "corks"... others scoop with a small cookie scoop and then form a ball.... I like to use two teaspoons to form a rough quenelle by scooping up a small amount of the dough (10 to 12 grams or so) with one spoon and then passing it back and forth between the two spoons to form a football shape. Drop the gnudi as you form them, a few at a time, into a dish of flour. Sprinkle the top of the formed gnudi with a bit of flour and then gently pick them up and lightly roll in your floured fingers to give a coating of just a dusting of flour. Place the formed and dusted gnudi on a pan that has been dusted with semolina (all purpose flour will work in a pinch...but semolina is a better option.) The gnudi may be cooked right away...or held at a cool room temperature for a short while...or refrigerated for several hours.

Cook the gnudi: Bring a large pot of well salted water to a bare simmer (a boil will encourage the gnudi to fall apart/explode in the water). Add half of the gnudi and give the pot a gentle back and forth shake to make sure the gnudi aren't sticking to the bottom. Monitor the pot to make sure a gentle simmer is maintained. The gnudi will begin to bob to the surface. Begin checking them for doneness a couple of minutes after they float to the top and remain on the surface. They are done when they go from feeling squishy to springy to the touch. Using a mesh skimmer/sieve, lift the cooked gnudi out of the water, transferring them to an oiled baking dish that is large enough to hold all of them in a loose single layer. Poach the remaining gnudi and add them to the dish.

Serve the gnudi right away...or hold at room temperature for an hour or so. If serving right away, they may be spooned directly onto a plate of sauce or broiled. If held for service, it is best to reheat them by broiling them. To broil, drizzle the gnudi with oil or dot with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan. Run the pan of gnudi under the broiler until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbling.

The gnudi may be sauced with a drizzle of browned butter (infused with sage or thyme) or a light butter sauce. They may also be served in a pool of tomato or cream sauce.

Recipe makes 32 to 40 gnudi, serving 4 as a light entrée or 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

To freeze: Place the pan of formed gnudi (they should be in a pan dusted with semolina and they should not touch one another) in the freezer. When the gnudi are frozen, wrap tightly with plastic wrap. When ready to cook, unwrap and set in a cool place (or in the refrigerator) and thaw...this should only take about an hour. Cook as for fresh within 10 to 14 days.

(Adapted from a recipe by Chef Steve Cole)

Ravioli Nudi Tips & Notes

You may use any green that you like in this recipe. The amount given is the trimmed weight. You will need to purchase more than this because of trim loss. A standard 1/2 lb. bunch of chard will yield about 6 oz. of greens, so for this recipe you will need 2 bunches.
When cooked and squeezed dry, you should have 3 1/2 to 4 oz. of very dry cooked greens...or a scant cup.
Spinach (particularly baby spinach) has, in my experience, shrunk more in weight during the cooking process than chard or beet greens. To obtain the same 3 1/2 to 4 oz. of very dry cooked greens, you will need to start with a pound of trimmed spinach.
Even good quality ricottas will probably need to be drained. My favorite ricotta (Hautly) appears to be quite dry right out of the container, but when allowed to drain in a cheesecloth overnight (set in a strainer, suspended over a bowl), I found that about 10 percent of the weight of the cheese was whey...for 8 oz., this is a couple tablespoons of liquid—which is a significant amount in this recipe. You will need 8 oz. of drained ricotta for the gnudi.
In general, 8 oz. of ricotta requires 40 to 50 grams of egg to bind it for successful poaching. One whole egg weighs 50 grams and two yolks weigh 40 grams. You may use a whole egg instead of two yolks in this recipe, but I find the resulting dumpling to be much lighter when made with all yolks. Because using yolks will give you slightly less egg than a whole egg, when you separate the eggs, save your whites—you might need them. After you have made your dough, cook a tester before forming them all. If it seems to want to break apart in the water, you can add a small amount of the whites back in to the dough. If you double the recipe, consider adding an extra yolk (5 all day...5 yolks equal the weight of 2 whole eggs).
The less flour you use, the lighter your gnudi will be. Start with 2 T. (15 grams). If the dough is still too soft to handle, add another one or two tablespoons.

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