Gnudi with Brown Butter Sauce

Name: Gnudi with Brown Butter Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 - 6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 18 oz. (2 cups) full-fat ricotta; 4 oz. Parmesan, grated (about (1 1/4 cups); 2/3 c. semolina flour, plus more if needed; 2 large eggs, beaten; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter; 3 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted; 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

These rich ricotta dumplings are an impressive, decadent, easy dinner!

By Christopher MichelPublished: Apr 19, 2024

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Becky Luigart-Stayner

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Yields:

4 - 6 serving(s)

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

You could think of gnudi as ravioli without the shell, or as ricotta dumplings. But if you're a fan of cheese and butter, you couldn't find a more decadent dinner.

Though there's a little prep, this recipe is pretty straightforward. And if you're looking to impress a dinner guest or a date, this is the meal to do it.

We highly recommend using semolina flour and not trying to substitute all-purpose. Semolina is much coarser and is what is typically used to make pasta. It will give the gnudi a thin, pasta-like coating, as opposed to a powdery, breading-like coating you'd get from all-purpose. (You can find it in most grocery stores, but also here's a link to buy it online.)

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Ingredients

18 oz. (2 cups) full-fat ricotta
4 oz. Parmesan, grated (about (1 1/4 cups)
2/3 cup semolina flour, plus more if needed
2 large eggs, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir together ricotta, Parmesan, flour, and eggs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Working one at a time, scoop 3 tablespoons of mixture using hands or a cookie scoop, then roll to form a roughly 1-inch ball. If mixture is too sticky, add up to an additional tablespoon semolina. Place in a large cast-iron pan or 9- by 13-inch baking dish. (Makes about 16 balls.)
2. Step 2Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until foam subsides and butter begins to turn a deep caramel color, 8 to 10 minutes; remove from heat. Stir in pine nuts and basil.
3. Step 3Pour butter mixture over gnudi. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve garnished with basil.