gnudi (ricotta gnocchi) with brown butter and sage
If you have ever had the gnudi at The Spotted Pig here in NYC, you don’t need me to tell you how face-melting delicious it is. The name comes from the Italian for “naked” because the pillowy little nuggets of ricotta are like ravioli with their prudish pasta pants torn off. When you bathe these little guys in brown butter and crispy sage (and maybe some crispy pancetta like I remember having at the restaurant a few years ago), you are left with (or maybe only I am left with) other similes that are both snicker-worthy and confusing. But mostly delicious.
I found a recipe with step-by-step photos along with an explanation of the important secret step in making gnudi the way The Spotted Pig does. I think the only thing missing in the recipe is salt; I had to sprinkle some on at the end, but next time I’ll just add it to the cheese mixture. And while it is hard to stray from the combination of brown butter and sage, I can’t help but think about these cheesy little dumplings soaking up a bit of rich, meaty sauce.
