Spring Gnudi with Beurre Blanc
Gnudi are light and pillowy Italian dumplings made with ricotta cheese. This recipe for Spring Gnudi with Beurre Blanc celebrates the flavours of the season with fresh asparagus and peas. A rich and creamy beurre blanc made with Narrative Chenin Blanc ties the whole dish together.
Ingredients
For the Gnudi:
- 500 grams ricotta cheese drained (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- Water for boiling
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Vegetables:
- Water for boiling
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup peas
For the Beurre Blanc:
- ¼ cup Narrative Chenin Blanc
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 shallot ~3 tablespoons, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream 35%
- ½ cup unsalted butter cut into 2-cm cubes, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup chives finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
To Make the Gnudi:
- Begin by making the gnudi. Add the drained ricotta cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and egg in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the flour to the bowl and mix to combine. The mixture should be stiff and hold together easily.
- Dust a large plate with ¼ cup of flour and dust your hands with flour to avoid the gnudi from sticking.
- Scoop one heaping tablespoon of the gnudi filling and roll it into a ball between the palms of your hands. The gnudi should be slightly smaller than the size of a golf ball. Continue rolling the gnudi and flouring your hands as needed.
- Once all the gnudi are formed, lightly sprinkle the top of the gnudi with another ¼ cup of flour. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour.
To Make the Vegetables:
- Next prepare the vegetables. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt and trimmed asparagus. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and tender. Just before the asparagus is done, add the peas and blanch for 30 seconds.
- Drain the vegetables and rinse under cold water. Drain and set aside.
To Make the Beurre Blanc:
- Prepare the beurre blanc right before you want to serve this dish.
- Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the wine, white wine vinegar and shallots to the pan. Mix to combine, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until there is 2 tablespoons of liquid left in the pan.
- Keep the heat over medium. Add the cream to the pan and whisk to combine. Next, add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking vigorously until the butter is fully melted into the sauce before adding another cube.
- Once all the butter has been incorporated, reduce the heat to low and add the salt and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
- Strain the beurre blanc through a strainer to remove the shallots. Return the beurre blanc to the pan and keep warm over very low heat.
To Assemble Final Dish:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and the gnudi. Reduce the heat medium and gently boil the gnudi for 2-3 minutes, or until the gnudi float to the top. Once the gnudi float, cook for an additional minute, then drain.
- To assemble, place the asparagus and peas in the bottom of a bowl and top with 6-8 gnudi per person. Spoon 2 tablespoons of beurre blanc over the gnudi and vegetables and garnish with the chives.
- Serve immediately with a glass of chilled Narrative Chenin Blanc and enjoy!
Notes
• Drain the ricotta cheese in a strainer overnight, or squeeze between a piece of cheesecloth to remove the liquid. You want the ricotta cheese to be on the dry side, so the gnudi are fluffy.
• If the beurre blanc splits, add 1 tablespoon of ice-cold water to a mixing bowl then slowly pour the split beurre blanc into the bowl, whisking vigorously. The beurre blanc should come back together into a smooth sauce. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 328mgPotassium: 52mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 326IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 0.4mg
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