Gnudi di Porri

This dish is truly one of the best things I have made all year. And all thanks to Tina over at Tina’s Table, who reverse engineered and published this recipe after eating Gnudi di Porri at a restaurant near San Gimignano in Tuscany.

I’m most used to seeing gnudi made with ricotta and some kind of dark leafy green, but the use of leeks instead is truly fantastic. The flavor is extra delicate, but still somehow indulgent and complex.

I saw Tina post about her recipe at the perfect time, too. I had been finding leeks nearly as long as my entire arm in the past few months at the farmer’s market and wanted a new way to use them.

I followed Tina’s recipe almost exactly. You can find her original post here.

To make these gnudi, you will need:

• 25g butter, plus more for the dressing

• 200g leeks, white & light green parts

• 300g ricotta, well drained

• 50g goat cheese*

• 50g Parmigiano-Reggiano

• nutmeg, to taste

• 2 eggs

• 35g bread crumbs

• ~2T 00 flour, plus 1 extra cup to coat the gnudi

• salt and pepper

• fresh sage leaves

*I used a little goat cheese for flavor since I was using cow’s milk ricotta. If you can find sheep’s milk ricotta (which is preferable) just use 350g of that and omit the goat cheese altogether!

Start by cleaning and chopping your leeks. Cook them down in the butter until soft, but not browned. This should take around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, and then combine with the cheeses, nutmeg, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Mix in the flour gently, and season to taste.

Next, bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, use two spoons to form walnut-sized balls of dough. Gently dredge them in a bowl of flour, then dust off the excess and roll briefly and gently between your hands to make a round ball.

When you are ready to cook the gnudi, add salt to the pot of boiling water and reduce to a simmer. Gently add the gnudi to the pot (you may need to cook them in batches) and cook for around 2-3 minutes. Once the gnudi rise to the surface of the boiling water, let them cook for an additional minute, to make sure they are cooked all the way through.

Gently strain the gnudi and add to a pan of melted butter and sage. Add a little pasta water if needed to create a creamy butter sauce.

Serve immediately with a sprinkle of extra cheese.