Personal Recipe Collection Added May 2026
Pasta · Mains · High Protein · Freezer-Friendly

Gnudi
Spinach & Ricotta

The easier cousin of gnocchi — no potato boiling, no ricing. Just squeezed-dry spinach folded into ricotta and a small amount of flour, rolled into pillowy dumplings and boiled until they float. High protein, decent fibre, genuinely fast. Freeze raw and cook straight from the freezer.

Servings 4 servings
Prep 20 min
Rest 30 min
Cook 5 min
Pillowy ricotta gnudi in tomato sauce
Whole-milk ricotta gnudi · served in a bolognese-style sauce
Scale recipe
Ingredients
The Gnudi
  • 500 g frozen spinach, thawed completely
  • 400 g full-fat ricotta
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 60 g Parmesan, finely grated
  • 80 g chickpea flour (or 00 flour), plus more for dusting
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • to taste black pepper
Fine semolina or chickpea flour for rolling keeps them from sticking and adds a faint crisp shell after boiling.
To Serve (pick one)
  • 60 g butter + 8 sage leaves (brown butter option)
  • or simple tomato sauce, warmed
  • or pesto + a splash of pasta water
  • 30 g extra Parmesan to finish
Method
  1. 01
    Squeeze the spinach dry Critical step

    Thawed frozen spinach holds a surprising amount of water. Transfer it in handfuls to a clean tea towel or muslin, gather the corners, and twist over a sink, squeezing hard until almost nothing drips out. Repeat for each handful. Then chop finely. Wet spinach will make the dough sticky and the gnudi will fall apart in the water.

  2. 02
    Mix the dough

    In a large bowl, combine the squeezed spinach, ricotta, beaten eggs, Parmesan, flour, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Mix until a uniform soft dough forms — it should hold its shape when rolled but feel slightly tacky. If the mixture is too wet (won't hold a ball), add flour a tablespoon at a time; but add as little as possible or the gnudi will be dense.

  3. 03
    Rest the dough

    Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight). The rest firms the mixture and makes rolling much easier — the gnudi will also hold together better when boiled. Dust a tray generously with semolina or chickpea flour.

  4. 04
    Shape the gnudi

    Scoop roughly 30 g portions (about a tablespoon) and roll lightly between floured palms into balls or short cylinders — they don't need to be perfect. Place on the dusted tray as you go. Keep your hands lightly floured. If freezing, stop here: freeze on the tray until solid (about 2 hours), then transfer to a bag.

  5. 05
    Boil

    Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a gentle boil — a rapid boil can break delicate gnudi. Lower them in batches (don't crowd). They are ready about 1 minute after they float to the surface, typically 3–4 minutes total. From frozen: 5–6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate.

  6. 06
    Sauce & serve

    Brown butter: melt butter in a wide pan over medium until golden and nutty-smelling, add sage leaves and let them crisp for 30 seconds, then add the gnudi and toss gently for 1 minute. Finish with Parmesan. Tomato sauce or pesto: warm the sauce in a wide pan, add drained gnudi and a splash of the cooking water, toss gently. Serve immediately — gnudi firm up as they cool.

Nutrition
Per 1 serving (~250 g) · With chickpea flour, before sauce
Calories 355 kcal
Protein 23 g
Fat 18 g
Carbs 16 g
Estimates before sauce. Brown butter adds ~100 kcal/serving. Using 00 flour instead of chickpea flour reduces protein by ~3 g and fibre by ~2 g per serving.
Notes
Freezing
Freeze raw, shaped gnudi on a semolina-dusted tray in a single layer — don't let them touch. Once solid (about 2 hours), transfer to a zip bag. Keeps 3 months. Cook straight from frozen in gently simmering water for 5–6 minutes, until they float and 1 minute beyond. No defrosting needed. This makes them ideal for batch-cooking: shape a double or triple batch and freeze most of it.
Flour choice
Chickpea flour (the recommendation here) adds protein and fibre, and has a mild flavour that works well with the spinach and ricotta. 00 flour gives a more classically silky result but less fibre. Semolina (mixed 50:50 with 00) gives a slightly firmer, more toothsome texture. Avoid plain strong bread flour — too chewy. Whichever you use, add as little as possible.
Wet ricotta
Supermarket ricotta is often wetter than artisan versions and can make the dough too loose. If your dough feels very slack after mixing, drain the ricotta first: line a sieve with muslin or a clean cloth, add the ricotta, and let it drain in the fridge for 1–2 hours. Alternatively, add extra flour in small amounts, though this makes the gnudi progressively denser.
Sauce pairings
Brown butter & sage is the classic — the nuttiness of the butter plays against the iron-forward spinach perfectly. Simple tomato (crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil) is the heartier option. Pesto is the quickest. For something richer, a small amount of gorgonzola melted into cream works very well with gnudi. Avoid very heavy, long-cooked ragù — the gnudi are delicate and get lost.
Make-ahead
The uncooked dough keeps in the fridge overnight — rest it, then roll and shape the next day. Shaped (uncooked) gnudi keep on their semolina-dusted tray in the fridge for up to 24 hours before boiling. Cooked gnudi do not keep well — they soften and lose structure. Always boil to order, or freeze raw.
Troubleshooting
Falling apart in water: spinach not squeezed dry enough, or dough too wet — chill longer, or add more flour. Dense and heavy: too much flour; use less next time and squeeze spinach harder. Rubbery texture: overcooked — they only need 1 minute after floating. Sticking together: not enough semolina/flour on the tray during shaping.